The flooding that has left two-thirds of Mexico’s Tabasco state swathed in water has drawn comparisons to another so-called “biblical” disaster of recent years, Hurricane Katrina.
Some applaud a rapid response from the Mexican government, which sent thousands of soldiers and federal police two days before the worst flooding hit, according to TIME magazine.
Helena Ranchal, regional head of the European Commission’s emergency relief fund, said the human cost of the disaster would have reached higher had the government not responded as it did.
Three people in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco, have been confirmed dead, as opposed to the close to 2,000 left dead by Hurricane Katrina.
However, some source remain skeptical of the government response. And once again, some point to a lack of flood prevention before the storms hit.
About 20,000 people remained on their rooftops Monday with 1 million residents displaced, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A supervisor of a shelter that received 900 residents said that government sent only enough food for 300 people.
Proceso, a Mexican magazine, accused the government of Tabasco of “criminal negligence,” saying that it did not provide infrastructure to prevent such flooding and allowed developers to construct buildings in delicate areas.
Authorities sent more medical workers and police officers into the region Tuesday in an effort to address health concerns and prevent looting, according to The New York Times.
Conservative President Felipe Calderon has faced criticism for not paying enough attention to the poor residents of the south, especially from his defeated opponent in last year’s election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a Tabasco native.
It seems like there are so many of these stories about natural disasters happening and governments not being fully prepared. I mean, if the United States performed so badly when Hurricane Katrina happened, what do we expect from other countries? The real losers in this scenario are the poor people of Mexico. Hopefully, international aid, as well as the Mexican government, will come through for them.