In photos: a city disappears due to climate change in Honduras and its inhabitants suffer from “solastalgia”



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EL ENCANTO, Honduras (AP) .- “How many of your patients suffer from depression?” Honduran doctor Claudia Lazo repeats the same word six times: “Everything, everything, everything, everything, everything, everything”.

The patients he treats in his modest rural health center suffer from solastalgia: anxiety, pain and grief caused by the loss of their landscape (the destruction of its environment). They live, but their place in the world – homes, human relationships, cultures, culture – no longer exists. They lost their physical home and their mental well-being.

On the night of November 24, 2020, his community, La Reina, disappeared from the face of the earth. This story is part of a series, After the Deluge, produced with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Located in western Honduras, the village where just over 1,000 people lived, almost all rural women, was buried in a landslide caused by a tragic combination of deforestation and two severe hurricanes in just three weeks. .

Dilma Murillo, 63, sits on a rock with an Izote flower at the site of her home destroyed by a landslide caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in the city of La Reina, Honduras.  On the night of November 24, 2020, the village was swept from the face of the earth.
Dilma Murillo, 63, sits on a rock with an Izote flower at the site of her home destroyed by a landslide caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in the city of La Reina, Honduras. On the night of November 24, 2020, the village was swept from the face of the earth.
Rodrigo Abd – AP
Elvia Gutiérrez, 46 years old;  her son, Jonathan Portillo, 6;  and her husband, Santos Portillo, 50, pose for a portrait at the site where their home was destroyed by a landslide caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in the city of La Reina, Honduras. "The terrace was beautiful ..." Jonathan said, "nobody can live here anymore"said his father
Elvia Gutiérrez, 46 years old; her son, Jonathan Portillo, 6; and her husband, Santos Portillo, 50, pose for a portrait at the site where their home was destroyed by a landslide caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in the city of La Reina, Honduras. “No one will be able to live here anymore”, said his father.Rodrigo Abd – AP
Julio Villanueva Melgar, 70, poses among the remains of his house destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota.  Over the decades, he started a family.  and made a living in La Reina.  But now it feels like he's been thrown into a new, more hostile universe: "You go crazy, disoriented.  ... you're not going anymore"
Julio Villanueva Melgar, 70, poses among the remains of his house destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota. Over the decades, he started a family. and made a living in La Reina. But now he feels like he’s thrown into a new, more hostile universe: “You’re going crazy, disoriented.… You don’t fit in anymore.”Rodrigo Abd – AP
Orlando Perdomo, 56, in his house damaged by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota, in the town of La Reina, Honduras. "When the first cracks opened in the earth after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, my dad said he wouldn't live to see it, but we would see the city disappear and the future would bring death.", remember Perdomo
Orlando Perdomo, 56, in his house damaged by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota, in the town of La Reina, Honduras. “When the first cracks opened in the earth after Hurricane Mitch in 1998, my father said he would not live to see it, but that we would see the city disappear, and the future would bring death.” , remembers Perdomo.Rodrigo Abd – AP
Eleuterio Esquivel, 51, poses with his wife, Elsa Mejía, 40, and their twins, Ibis and Noel.  La Reina was home to around 1,000 people, the western Honduran city was hit by two powerful hurricanes in three weeks, natural disasters made worse by local deforestation and climate change.  The village was buried by a landslide
Eleuterio Esquivel, 51, poses with his wife, Elsa Mejía, 40, and their twins, Ibis and Noel. La Reina was home to around 1,000 people, the western Honduran city was hit by two powerful hurricanes in three weeks, natural disasters made worse by local deforestation and climate change. The village was buried by a landslideRodrigo Abd – AP
Marian Castron, 23;  Maria Castron, 25;  Jenny Castron, 19, and Omar Castron, 50, visit their home devastated by a landslide."We plan to come back, but it will be impossible "said Omar
Marian Castron, 23; Maria Castron, 25; Jenny Castron, 19, and Omar Castron, 50, visit their house devastated by a landslide.Rodrigo Abd – AP
Elmer Ramírez, 22, stands at the site of his house destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in the town of La Reina, Honduras. "We made the decision for my wife to go to the United States ... I hope to be able to meet her in the near future in Miami.  Our project is to be able to build a house.  Nobody leaves thinking they stay in the United States because our land is here "
Elmer Ramírez, 22, stands at the site of his house destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in the town of La Reina, Honduras. “Tomamos the decisión de que mi esposa se vaya a los Estados Unidos … ojalá pueda encontrarla in a futuro cercano in Miami. Nuestro plan will be able to build a casa. Nadie is going to think in quedarse in Los Estados Unidos porque nuestra tierra it is here ” Rodrigo Abd – AP
Alejandro Mejía, 80, and his wife, Petrona Caballero, 80, pose for a portrait at the site of their house destroyed by a landslide.  They have lived together in La Reina for 48 years.  Mejía built her own house. "I made a wooden box.  I scrambled it with pine needles and let it dry in the sun for six days, protecting it from the rain.".  Knight says: "In his own house we rest our thoughts ... I feel a wound, an affliction in my chest.  From now on we will suffer"
Alejandro Mejía, 80, and his wife, Petrona Caballero, 80, pose for a portrait at the site of their house destroyed by a landslide. They have lived together in La Reina for 48 years. Mejía built her own house. “I made a wooden box. I boiled it with pine needles and let it dry in the sun for six days, protecting it from the rain.” Caballero said: “In his own house, we rest our thoughts … I feel a wound, an affliction in the chest. From now on we will suffer”Rodrigo Abd – AP
Twins Dulce Alejandra Mejía and Genesis Mejía, 12, pose on the roof of their neighbor's house devastated by hurricanes in the town of La Reina.  His parents live in Spain
Twins Dulce Alejandra Mejía and Genesis Mejía, 12, pose on the roof of their neighbor’s house devastated by hurricanes in the town of La Reina. His parents live in SpainRodrigo Abd – AP
Melvin Alonso, 14;  Guillermo Alonso, 54 years old;  Elvin Alonso, 6 months;  Maria Orellana, 52 years old;  Genesis Alonso, 6;  Yenny Alonso, 16;  Areli Alonso, 22, and Orlin Alonso, 25, pose for a photo at the site where their home was destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in the village of La Reina, Honduras. "We feel very sad because we are homeless, but the important thing is that the whole family is alive." Guillermo says
Melvin Alonso, 14; Guillermo Alonso, 54 years old; Elvin Alonso, 6 months; Maria Orellana, 52 years old; Genesis Alonso, 6; Yenny Alonso, 16; Areli Alonso, 22, and Orlin Alonso, 25, pose for a photo at the site where their home was destroyed by a landslide caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in the village of La Reina, Honduras. is that the whole family is alive “, says GuillermoRodrigo Abd – AP
Glenda Herrera, 34, where her house collapsed, "That night we ran and saw how the hill fell, but I never imagined it would destroy everything "
Glenda Herrera, 34, where her house collapsed, “That night we ran and saw how the hill fell, but I never imagined it would destroy everything.”Rodrigo Abd – AP

Photos: Rodrigo Abd / AP

Photo montage: Enrique Villegas

PA

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