El Salvador: Monitoring the Humanitarian Response - Bulletin n° 1 | January-June 2024
Situation Update
El Salvador, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, faced a drought during the first months of 2024, exposing many households to humanitarian needs. This drought severely impacted people’s livelihoods, particularly those dependent on agricultural production, leading to reduced purchasing power and food consumption gaps.
In May, the rainy season began, with some areas of the country receiving above-normal rainfall—up to 869 mm by June—due to a monsoon gyre.
These rains further increased food and livelihood needs in subsistence farming communities, suggesting a challenging outlook for the coming months.
Below is a brief overview of the situation from humanitarian sectors.
Food Security
The recurrent drought early in the year, coupled with the transition from El Niño to La Niña, created climatic conditions that predominantly affected farming communities and families in at-risk areas. Over 130 shelters were activated by the Ministry of Governance in June, accommodating approximately 4,500 people. The government provided timely and effective support in shelters, including prepared food. brindando alimentos preparados a las personas.
Emergency Shelter
The sector has observed significant changes in the current context. The improved security situation has led to social changes in communities and settlements historically affected by violence. This safer environment opens opportunities for durable housing solutions for those impacted by forced internal displacement.
Increased humanitarian access to previously inaccessible communities has revealed urgent shelter and settlement needs, including the recovery of homes seized by criminal groups, the rehabilitation of houses damaged by recurrent climatic events, and the renovation of public spaces for peacebuilding.