UPDATE: April 16, 2008 - Compassion Ecuador is receiving a transfer of Complementary Intervention funds, signaling that the situation has stabilized and recovery efforts are underway.

Please pray for the end to the rains and for God's protection and provision for Compassion staff, families and children in Ecuador.

Compassion Ecuador will provide updates as information becomes available.

Compassion International will contact you if your sponsored child has been affected.

UPDATE: April 8, 2008 - A quarter of Ecuador's population has been affected by the recent floods – the largest in a decade. New cases of rotavirus and dengue fever continue being reported, but schools in the coastal region, which had been closed for a time, will be reopening on April 11.

Thousands of Compassion-assisted children in the areas of Babahoyo Ventanas, Machala, Daule and Manabí have been affected in varying degrees, ranging from slight to severe. All the affected children, families and child development centers are receiving regular aid, including food, water, medical assistance, mosquito fumigation and other health protection measures.

UPDATE: March 17, 2008 - The strong rains and flooding are expected to continue until late April. Compassion Ecuador reports heavy damage to Compassion-assisted child development centers in the country's coastal provinces, and Partnership Facilitators are working with our church partners to provide immediate and effective relief. Relief efforts for all affected centers will be used to provide food, medicine, water, insecticide, awnings and mattresses.

The flooding and subsequent mosquito proliferation have caused respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal problems in children. Approximately 700 children are suffering from rotavirus or dengue fever. Compassion staff are addressing these issues by providing medical relief.

Additional affected child development centers include:

• Camino de Santidad Student Center (EC-364)
• Mahanaim Student Center (EC-366)
• Jocay Student Center (EC-370)
• Estrella de Jacob Student Center (EC-373)
• Circle of Prayers Student Center (EC-374)
• Antioquia Student Center (EC-375)
• Monte de Oración Student Center (EC-376)
• Juan 3:16 Student Center (EC-377)
• El Shaday Student Center (EC-378)
• Filadelfia Student Center (EC-379)
• Center of Integral Development Bethesda (EC-387)
• Tabernáculo de la Fé Student Center (EC-388)
• Nuevos Horizontes Student Center (EC-390)
• Pescadores Student Center (EC-395)
• La Buena Semilla Student Center (EC-396)
• Macedonia Student Center (EC-503)
• Jesus King of Kings Student Center (EC-504)
• La Hermosa Student Center (EC-505)
• Benedición (EC-520)
• Joyas de Cristo Student Center (EC-521)
• Escuadrones de Israel (EC-522)
• Camino de Sion Student Center (EC-523)

UPDATE: March 7, 2008 - Ecuador's coastal region remains under a state of emergency. The Compassion Partnership Facilitator has been managing intervention actions in coordination with the affected church partners. A local committee has been established in order to address housing and health needs.

Two additional child development centers have been affected by the rains: 

• Luz del Mundo Student Center (EC-310)
• Puerta del Cielo Student Center (EC-350)

UPDATE: March 6, 2008 - Compassion child development centers in Ecuador are still suffering from the heavy rains that have caused rivers to overflow, damaged crops, and contaminated the clean water in many communities. The area of Crucita, in the Manabí Province, is at high risk for landslides due to the hilly terrain saturated by the month-long rains.

In El Shaday Student Center (EC-353), many children are suffering from dengue fever and rotavirus, while the homes of many children are flooded and collapsing. Other affected centers include: 

• Cordero del Rey Student Center (EC-368)
• Cuba Student Center (EC-369)
• Ciudada de Belen Student Center (EC-397)
• Estrella de Bethel Student Center (EC-398)
• Buen Samaritano Student Center (EC-502) 

The Compassion Program Facilitator in the province along with the center staff are providing the children and their families with food, water, medicine, insecticide bombs, awnings, boots, mattresses, sheets, clothes and other supplies.

Feb. 29. 2008 - Intense rains in Ecuador have caused the government to declare a state of emergency in its coastal region. At least four rivers in this region have overflowed, creating devastating floods.

Compassion maintains child development centers in Babahoyo City and Ventanas Canton in the Los Rios Province, where the flooding is concentrated.

Sulambano Student Center (EC-351) is being used as a public shelter to house 19 families, including two families of Compassion-assisted children.

Compassion Ecuador is conducting needs assessments with Compassion-assisted families in the affected centers.