At least 17 communities in Oaxaca are still isolated because of damage to roads by Tropical Storm Narda, according to Oaxaca Highways and Airports Director David Mayren.

He said that of the 96 roads that were damaged by Narda, only 38 have been completely reopened, while the other 58 have only been partially opened because it has continued to rain.

He noted that the federal government is refusing to pay for fuel for machines and salaries for workers, and that the work is being organized through “internal economies.”

Most of the aid is being delivered to 60 municipalities in the Costa, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mixteca and Sierra Sur regions.

Oaxaca Civil Protection coordinator Heliodoro Díaz Escarraga said that not all of the aid promised by the federal government has arrived and that emergency declarations have only been authorized for 22 municipalities out of the 122 that require declarations because the government is continuing to evaluate the damage.

Meanwhile, Oaxaca Agriculture Secretary Sofía Castro said that heavy rains from the storm have damaged 70,000 hectares of farmland, while a nine-month drought before the storm had already damaged 57,000 hectares.

The storm made landfall in Oaxaca a week ago before sweeping north through Mexico, causing extensive damage.

Source: Milenio (sp)