Disasters, Conflicts and Migration 

Natural Disasters
Type	Occurs	Comments / Details
Drought	Yes	In recent years (2014-2019), the increasing trends of longer droughts in certain areas of the country, related to the weather phenomenon of El Nino and increasingly heavy rains from depressions or tropical storms elsewhere, have had a devastating effect and incurred high costs.     Probability of Drought:  0 to 1 drought per year in the Center and South of the country.  In the last 100 years with an average of severe drought per 15 to 20 years, less severe drought in a period of 2 to 3 years (Probable months between January, February and March)
Earthquakes	Yes	Northern Central America (NCA) is the area with the highest risk of disasters in Central America, being one of the areas most affected by extreme geo-climatic events such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and droughts. Honduras, being in the Ring of Fire zone, is prone to earthquakes, however, these are not frequent or of great magnitude.    Earthquake Probability  Very low in the Northeast area of the country  Low, Northwest-West and Center, of Tegucigalpa  Media in the South, Northwest, Choluteca, San Pedro Sula)  High area of the Northwest, an earthquake during the last hundred years
Epidemics	Yes	Floods or storms produce increases in epidemics, with a boom in cases of diarrhea, respiratory diseases (ARI) and all those associated with the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. For example, after Mitch, cases of diarrhea increased by 20%.
Extreme Temperatures	No	The historical average temperature of the country is located at 25.3 ºC, and an increase of half a degree is forecast in the coming years, although with variations between the different regions of the country. In this way, while in the regions of Choluteca and Valle the maximum temperature reaches 30 degrees, in the peak of Celaque the minimum recorded is 12 ° C.251  Up to 600 meters high the average temperature is around 26 ° C, as in the lowlands of the Caribbean Sea. At altitude between 601 and 2,100 m the recorded temperature ranges between 16 and 24 °C, while above 2,101 m the average temperature is 16 ° C.  In the Pacific, the department of Choluteca is characterized by a dry climate with average annual temperatures of 28 ° C.
Floods	Yes	The Honduran territory is especially vulnerable to tropical cyclones and hurricanes, whose number has increased in the last decade, especially between the months of June and November. The country suffers a hurricane every 25 to 30 years, while storms are more frequent: one every three to five years (especially in the period between September and October). The tropical storms and cyclones that affect Honduras originate predominantly in the Atlantic Ocean, north and east of the country. According to IISD (2013), the cyclone season runs from June to November, although some cyclones of great intensity have been recorded in the month of May.    Flood Probability:  High in the low areas of the North and South  High in areas with soils that have poor drainage in the Center.  In the last 100 years with an average flood of 3 to 5 years (Probable months between August, September and October)
Insect Infestation	Yes	Temperatures have risen 2°C in the last ten years," leading to shrinking harvests, increased deforestation, and increased pests and epidemics. During 2014, the Institute of Forest Sciences detected 7,528 weevil attacks, mostly in the departments of Olancho, Yoro and Francisco Morazán, for a total of 15,242 ha and 217,573 m3 of pine wood.  Locusts are a threat to crops in the country and these tend to proliferate when temperatures rise. However, ARSA together with SENASA undertake early actions to control the pest.
Mudslides	Yes	For FAO (2012), deforestation causes erosion and soil degradation, which affect increased floods, landslides, sedimentation of rivers, loss of water sources and disappearance of rivers for several months a year.  La Paz is the Honduran department most threatened by landslides, with 20.22% of its territory. In Intibucá, 20.13% of the department is threatened by landslides, followed by Lempira (19.98%) and Comayagua (18.87%).
Volcanic Eruptions	No	In the Honduran territory no active volcanoes have been located (only 4 holocene volcanoes), which are El Tigre, Zacate Grande, Lake Yojoa, and Isla Útila in an inactive state; of which the date of its last eruption is unknown (Trombley, 2008).
High Waves / Surges	Yes	Storm surges are more frequent on the Pacific coast than in the Caribbean Sea. It is a phenomenon associated with abnormal waves in the central Pacific, with almost annual frequency. 5.1% of the national territory presents a high threat to tides and swells, concentrated in five of the eighteen departments. The department most affected by tides and tides is the Bay Islands, where 43.66% of the area is at risk, followed by Valle (28.82%), Gracias a Dios (13.75%) and Choluteca (8.45%).
Wildfires	Yes	Forest fires are recurrent in Honduras and are a threat that increases in periods of drought, whose increase can lead, to which also contributes the decreasing forest density of the country, which would produce a vicious circle between drought and forest fires. Along with drought, high temperatures and strong winds are the main natural causes of forest fires in the country (ISDR, 2014). However, of forest fires are caused by human activities: in 2014, 72% of forest fires were by criminal hands, and 12% by agricultural burning.
High Winds	N/A
Other Comments	Countries like Honduras have less economic diversification and are more dependent on agriculture, and their lower income and savings, as well as poor education and health, make households vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Man-Made Issues
Civil Strife	No
International Conflict	Yes	The Gulf of Fonseca has historically been a source of conflict between El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. And despite its beauty and an illustrious past, it is also one of the poorest areas of Central America. The main problem is the lack of delimitation of the waters, although the first attempt in this direction was made in 1880 and it was in 1917 when the Central American Court of Justice expressed itself for the first time in the matter.  And the matter also went to be considered by the same International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague after El Salvador and Honduras appealed to the court to settle a dispute over an island of half a square kilometer called Conejo. In its 1992 resolution, the ICJ determined that both states had exclusive sovereignty over a strip of three miles from their coast but assigned the administration of the rest of the waters of the gulf to the three countries that share it.  And the lack of precise delimitation has continued to generate conflicts, with the military shooting at fishermen they accuse of fishing in foreign waters and presidents threatened with the use of air power to defend their sovereignty.
Internally Displaced Persons	Yes	Widespread violence is the leading cause of internal displacement in Honduras. The presence of groups linked to criminal activities, organized in maras or gangs, as well as the territorial dispute of gangs dedicated to drug trafficking, are the main engines of this violence. The country's two main cities: Tegucigalpa, the capital, and San Pedro Sula, an industrial city, have figured in recent years at the top of the list of the most violent cities in the world, with homicide rates ranging between 40 and 55, respectively, per 100,000 inhabitants.   Since 2013, the Government of Honduras has recognized the problem of forced displacement due to violence in the country. To address its impact, it created the Inter-Institutional Commission for the Protection of Persons Displaced by Violence (CIPPDV), whose objective is to "promote the formulation of policies and the adoption of measures for the prevention of forced displacement due to violence, as well as care, protection and solutions for displaced persons and their families."
Refugees Present		The urgent humanitarian needs of displaced persons, refugees and migrants arriving, transiting or returning to the region exacerbate existing challenges and exacerbate gaps in governance and crisis response and in access to basic services for migrants.   701,000 encounters in 2021 between the U.S. Border Patrol and migrants in transit originating from northern Central America. 795,000 people returned between 2017 and 2021 of which 39.68% come from Honduras. 740,000 asylum applications between 2019 and 2021 in the US and Mexico from people from northern Central America.
Landmines / UXO Presence	Yes	This was generated as a result of the cold war (80's):  - Laying of A/P mines, in border areas: Honduras and Nicaragua.  - Loss of life and persons crippled were recorded.  - Crop areas affected by the effect of mines.  - Negative effects on the regional economy.
Other Comments	Honduras is in a complex humanitarian crisis, the root causes of which relate to systemic poverty, deep socioeconomic and gender inequality, persistent violence, the challenges posed by mixed migration flows, forced displacement within and from Honduras, and limited state capacity to respond to the protection challenges faced by the population.  This context is marked by the deepening COVID-19 pandemic and climate shocks, including hurricanes Eta and Iota.

For more information on disasters in the country, please refer to the Search Center in Epidemiology and Disasters:

http://www.sela.org/media/3220400/ocha-desastres_naturales.pdf 

https://www.sica.int/ 

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Seasonal Effects on Transport
Transport Type	Time Frame	Comments / Details
Primary Transport Network	From May to November	High vulnerability of the network to natural phenomena (climatic, geological, others) does not guarantee continuity of travel in winter season (eg: transport of wood from the exploitation areas to the sawmills).   During the rainy season, floods and landslides occur, which generate closures in the roads due in many cases to the poor infrastructure of these.
Secondary Transport Network	From May to November	Like the previous point, secondary roads are affected by floods and landslides, but to a greater degree.
Rail transport	N/A	N/A
Air transport	From May to November	The temporary closure of airports is forced when bad weather limits the visibility required for the departure of planes, especially in the northern part of the country. This occurs regularly in the rainy season.
River Transport	From December to April	The main means of communication between communities is fluvial, people move through rivers, lagoons and canals that connect with each other, specifically in the Municipalities of Gracias a Dios; Brus Laguna, Ahuas, Wampusirpi and Juan Francisco Bulnes.   The duration of the trips can change in summer since it will depend on the seasonality of the river and can vary by the amount of water that the river has from four to seven hours when its waters are very low.

Infrastructure, both public and private, is of fundamental importance for social and economic development in Honduras, as well as for its structuring and integration. It is key to natural emergencies and a rapid and effective response to disasters depends on its quality. Of particular importance are land, air and sea transport, telecommunications and energy. 

The country has a road network of 14,420 km, of which 3,280 are paved roads, 2,670 km are considered secondary roads built with selected material, and 8,300 are neighborhood roads according to an analysis by UNDP and SERNA. 

The construction and maintenance of infrastructure must contemplate the effects of climate change, with the aim of reducing its impact and extending the useful life of the works, especially those that are most used. It is estimated that the useful life of infrastructure and urban constructions is 70 years, since it is very likely that the existing infrastructure will have to operate in different climatic conditions in the coming decades. 

Road networks and energy facilities, ports and airports generate economic competitiveness and attract new investment: businesses and distribution networks depend on infrastructure to be able to produce and distribute goods, both in local and global markets. When damaged, companies incur losses, reduce their production and processing capacity, which often leads to mass layoffs of workers. 

In Honduras, road infrastructure is practically non-existent in rural areas, especially on the Caribbean Coast. In many places, roads are not paved and are only passable in the dry period. Instead, a part of the road network is in danger of flooding: the roads with the greatest risk are in the plain of the rivers in the Aguan Valley, the Atlantic coastal plain, the Sula Valley, the Choluteca Valley and the Pacific coastal plains.  

According to different analyses, in the coming years greater investment in infrastructure will be required than has been made at any time in the past, due to the actions of climate change.  

Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling
Activity Type	Time Frame	Comments / Details
Storage	From May to November	Moisture and spread of pests in food.
Handling	N/A	N/A
Other	N/A	N/A

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response 

GOVERNMENT 

The Ministry of National Contingency and Risk Management of Honduras, is an entity created to coordinate public and private organizations regarding disasters and is within the framework of the National Risk Management System of the Republic of Honduras. 

In 2009, Decree No. 151-2009 approved the Law on the National Risk Management System (SINAGER). That aims to create the System and constitute the legal framework for the country to develop the capacity to prevent and reduce the risks of potential disasters, in addition to preparing for the response and recovery of damages caused by natural phenomena or those generated by human activities. Both the Law and the Regulations provide for the participation of representatives of various institutions and public and private organizations that, in collaboration and under the coordination of COPECO, are actively involved at the time of emergency response, developing their functions in the competent aspects of the organization they represent. The State Policy for Integral Risk Management of Honduras (PEGIR), approved by Executive Decree NoPCM-051-2013 on October 22, 2013, constitutes the guiding framework. The PEGIR is aimed at conducting the development of processes of strengthening and inter-institutional coordination that contribute to the operation and quality in compliance with the regulatory, financial, plans, national, regional, municipal strategies mediated by the integral risk management that includes the various sectors and at the territorial level, so that they impact these actions in the reduction of conditions of vulnerability for human security.  goods and the territorial environment. Similarly, the organizations that are part of the System have in their different legal instruments specific provisions regarding their participation in the response to emergencies and disasters. 

There is an early warning system that allows the population to be informed in a timely manner, using mechanisms that activate prevention and response plans. 

The National Commissioner of the Ministry of National Contingency and Risk Management of Honduras  "COPECO" will declare the states of alert (national, regional and departmental) by means of an agreement, with the support of the information generated by a Scientific Technical Committee (in the case of natural phenomena) and will be disseminated with the purpose that the population and the institutions adopt the specific actions before the situation that arises. present. 

COEN Functional Organization Chart  

Decision-making at the National Emergency Operations Center is based on: 

 

 

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List

HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY 

Humanitarian coordination in Honduras has been established in accordance with the operational model proposed by the United Nations System as of December 3, 2020. 

It is composed of the different actors with a presence in the country and includes, at the strategic and operational levels, the Humanitarian Team, the national authorities represented by COPECO, the sectoral tables established or to be established. These include Education in Emergencies, Food Security, Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Temporary Shelter, Shelter Coordination and Management, and Protection, which in turn includes the Child Protection and Gender-Based Sexual Violence subgroups. 

Its structure includes the cross-cutting issues of gender, human rights, and cash transfers. Additionally, local coordination teams in Valle de Sula, Copan, Gracias a Dios and Santa Bárbara. 

 

National Coordination Structure 

Sectors have designated focal points to facilitate coordination at the national level. 

Sector	Organization	Focus
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene	UNICEF	Gerson Urtecho gurtecho@unicef.org
Emergency Accommodation	IFRC	Lilia Blades coord1.honduras@sheltercluster.org - coord.americas@sheltercluster.org
Shelter Coordination and Management	IOM	Lourdes Ardón lardon@iom.int
Multisectoral Coordination	OCHA	Erlin Palma palmae@un.org
Education	UNICEF/Save the Children	Alejandro López alejandro.lopezsalgado@savethechildren.org
Logistics	LDC	Tania Ochoa tania.ochoa@wfp.org
Protection	UNHCR	Lina Castro castrovi@unhcr.org
Child Protection	UNICEF	Francisco Urbina furbina@unicef.org
Gender-based violence	UNFPA	Ambar Assaf  assaf@unfpa.org
Bless you	OPS-OMS	Alex Padilla padillaale@paho.org
Sexual and Reproductive Health	UNFPA	Silvia Padilla spadilla@unfpa.org
Food safety	WFP-FAO	Hector Cruz hector.cruz@wfp.org
Nutrition	UNICEF	Cintia Paguada cpaguada@unicef.org
Early Recovery	UNDP	Astrid Mejia astrid.mejia@undp.org

Coordination structure in Valle de Sula 

Sectors have designated focal points to facilitate coordination at the national level. 

For the Sula Valley this is the list of responsible: 

Sector	Organization	Focus
Bless you	PAHO-WHO	TBD
Sexual and Reproductive Health	UNFPA	Jose Zepeda jzepeda@unfpa.org
Food safety	WFP-FAO	TBD
Water, sanitation and hygiene	UNICEF	Gerson Urtecho gurtecho@unicef.org
Protection	UNHCR	Jacopo Sarti Widell sarti@unhcr.org
Gender-based violence	UNFPA	TBC
Child Protection	UNICEF	TBD
Shelter coordination and management	OIM	Carlos Galindo cgalindo@iom.int
Education	UNICEF	Ever Alvarenga  ever.alvarenga@savethechildren.org
Emergency accommodation	IFRC / Global Communities	coord1.honduras@sheltercluster.org - Lilia Blades coord.americas@sheltercluster.org
Multisectoral Coordination	OCHA	Maria Puerto / Erlin Palma palmae@un.org

Local Coordination Contacts in Santa Barbara 

Jose Luis Pineda, COPECO, 99267484 josepinal1986@gmail.com 
Alex Dario Ribera, ADASBA, 99341395 adasbalex@gmail.com 
Elsa Lourdes Díaz, Executive Director of ADASBA. Phone: 3161-2671 adasba.honduras@gmail.com 

For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List 

Honduras is a State governed by the rule of law, sovereign, constituted as a free, democratic and independent Republic to ensure its inhabitants the enjoyment of justice, freedom, culture, economic and social well-being. 

Honduras is a Republic governed by a Constitution for the first time on December 11,1825, this establishes the "three powers" of the State, without relationship of subordination between them.

The Legislative Power is exercised by the National Congress through 128 deputies who are elected by suffrage. They meet in ordinary sessions in the capital of the republic since January 25. Among its attributions are create, decree, interpret, reform and repeal existing laws. 

The Judicial Power has the power to impart justice in the towns, free of charge on behalf of the state by magistrate and judges. It is composed of the Supreme Court of Justice, the courts of appeal and the courts by law. 

The Executive Power is exercised by the President of the Republic, representing it for the benefit of the population. The President of the Republic and three presidential appointees shall be elected in an organized and direct manner by the people. 

RENTAL ADMINISTRATION SERVICE - SAR 

It is a decentralized entity attached to the Presidency of the Republic, with functional, technical, administrative and national security autonomy, with its own legal personality, responsible for the control, verification, inspection and collection of taxes, with authority and competence at the national level and domiciled in the Capital of the Republic. Created by legislative decree 170-2016, article 195. 

SECRETARY OF FINANCE - SEFIN 

It exercises the function of governing and supervising entity of the assets of the State, in terms of the acts of acquisition, disposal, conservation, registration and control of all its assets, in correspondence and collaboration with the Comptroller Agencies of the Public Sector, for the achievement of the adequate and efficient administration. 

Listed below are the main entities that exercise control over specific issues such as taxes and customs, food and drug surveillance, transportation, agriculture, mining, etc. 

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK – SAG 

It is the authorized body, for the quality control of the product of animal or vegetable origin and who establishes the requirements in the process of export and import of products. 

Its objective is to ensure that national agricultural production is competitive, sustainable and with the capacity to insert itself into the international economy, responding to the needs of the domestic market and integrating into a scheme of human, social and environmental development, based on self-management, community participation, the gender equity approach and the sustainable management of natural resources. 

HONDURAS CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION - DARA 

It is the competent administrative body to deal directly with the international traffic of goods, to control and control their passage through the customs borders of the country, to apply the legislation of customs regimes, to determine the taxes to which goods are subject, to control the exemptions granted in legal form and to fulfill the other functions established by law.  Chapter I, Customs Law of the Republic of Honduras Decree No. 212-87. 

HEALTH REGULATORY AGENCY - ARSA 

It is responsible for the supervision, review, verification, control, surveillance and supervision of compliance with legal, technical and administrative regulations of establishments, suppliers, products and services of health interest and those that carry out activities or practice behaviors that affect or may have an impact on the Health of the Population, and the regulation, granting, renewal,  modification, suspension or cancellation of registrations, permits, licenses, certifications and other sanitary authorizations. 

NATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY SERVICE - SENASA 

Responsible for the design, direction, coordination and execution of animal health and plant health programs, issuing rules to guide public and private actions in these matters. To this end, it is responsible for the application of sanitary standards and procedures for the import and export of agricultural products, including the diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of pests and diseases, the quarantine control of import and export products, the coordination of phyto-animal health programs and campaigns, and the coordination of the different activities related to agricultural health. 

The Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock SAG, through SENASA, is responsible for the organization, execution and control of the authorization of professionals, laboratories, companies for sanitary and phytosanitary programs or actions in the country. 

INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR AGRICULTURAL HEALTH - OIRSA 

It is an intergovernmental institution specialized in the areas of animal health, plant health, quarantine services and food safety. OIRSA was founded in 1953 to provide technical and financial cooperation to the Ministries and Secretariats of Agriculture and Livestock of its member states, in the protection and development of their agricultural resources. This is to ensure healthy and safe food production. 

The objective of this body is to support the efforts of Member States to achieve the development of their Animal Health, Plant Health plans and the strengthening of Quarantine Systems. The member states are: Mexico, Belize (joined in 1996), Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Dominican Republic (joined in 2003).