New activity document (NAD) : [Hurricane] Mitch integrated reconstruction (MIRA) activity no. 519-0448, [Hurricane] Mitch economic stimulation activity (MESA) no. 519-0449, [and Hurricane] Mitch water & sanitation activity (MAS) no. 519-0450 -- special objective : reduced vulnerability of the rural poor to natural disasters in targeted areas

Efforts under all three will focus on the 10 municipalities where damage was most severe: Zacatecoluca; Tecoluca; Usulutan; Jiquilisco; San Dionisio; Puerto El Triunfo; Concepcion Batres; Jucuaran; El Transito; and Chirilagua. These municipalities, most of which are situated in the Lempa-Grande floodplain, one of El Salvador"s poorest regions, have a total rural population of some 153,000. Within this region, 147 communities of 37,000 people have been identified as those most affected by Mitch. Together, the three new activities will achieve the three intermediate results of the Mission"s Special Objective to reduce vulnerability of the rural poor to natural disasters in targeted areas: stimulated economic activity; increased access to basic community services; and environmental impact of future natural disasters mitigated. For further information, see the abstracts of 5190448, 5190449, and 5190450 in the PROJECTS database.