The UN climate talks, COP26, are underway in Glasgow. As the conference continues, it is vital that the voices of people living in poverty – those who are facing the brutal effects of climate change every day – are heard and acted on by world leaders.
Norman Molina, who works in Tearfund’s Honduras team, sees the effects of the climate crisis every day. In Honduras – and across many parts of Central America – it has led to a migration crisis.
Wiped out
‘Fishing communities, they have a small restaurant and they cook fish and sell fish for a living. These communities don’t exist anymore because the water levels have increased in ways that have made communities – entire communities – disappear,’ shares Norman.
A way of life for generations upon generations of families is being torn apart.
The change in weather patterns is leading many people to despair. ‘Rain has become a threat. Our hearts start pumping very fast and our minds start creating stories, and we are traumatised by it,’ Norman tells us.
Last year, Honduras was battered by two hurricanes, pushing even more people in the country into poverty. Disasters like this are becoming more frequent and more severe due to climate change.
‘Every time I hear rain, there is this fear of what is going to happen, which is sad, because rain in the Bible for us, it’s a sign of blessing – of life, of crops and growth.’
