With tens of thousands of Hondurans displaced by floods, the emergency response is in full swing, as aid agencies and donors work out what's needed, distribute relief and ask for funds.

Aid workers agree the flooding is the worst the country has experienced since Hurricane Mitch which killed about 10,000 people across Central America a decade ago.

"In some ways, this is worse," said Arnaldo Bueso Hernanadez, CARE International's programme director in Honduras. "During Hurricane Mitch, the damages were limited to specific areas. Now, almost the entire country has been devastated - 17 out of the 18 areas of the country are damaged. Everybody needs help."

Some are disappointed by the scant media coverage the emergency has received, which they attribute partly to the undramatic cause of the disaster - several days of heavy, continuous rain rather than a single tropical hurricane.

The Honduran government has declared a state of emergency and issued a formal appeal for humanitarian aid. About 270,000 people have been affected by floods and landslides so far, with 33 reported deaths. Experts say the death toll would have been higher had it not been for the timely evacuation of more than 42,000 people.

As the bad weather has abated, the extent of the damage has started to emerge. Around 10,000 homes have been damaged, and around half the country's roads damaged or destroyed. Some 100,000 hectares of crops have been lost.

While no disease outbreaks have yet been reported, the authorities are concerned about the risks the flood waters and exposure to the elements pose to public health, particularly in the form of gastrointestinal diseases and respiratory infections.

The Permanent Commission for Contingencies (COPECO), which is coordinating the relief effort, has identified an urgent need for portable latrines and plants to provide safe drinking water, as well as food, blankets and hygiene kits, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Meanwhile, governments have been stepping forward with cash for emergency relief. Washington has given $50,000, and Spain $30,000, while other donors are carrying out damage assessments before deciding on their contributions.

On the ground, aid agencies are distributing basic supplies. Medical Teams International is supplying emergency medicines to treat people suffering from diarrhoea, respiratory conditions and skin infections, especially the elderly and children.

CARE International, which has launched an appeal for the disaster, is providing cooking equipment, safe drinking water and hygiene kits to around 11,000 displaced people who have sought refuge in the capital of Tegucigalpa and in shelters on the Atlantic Coast

Christian Aid has sent $30,000 to its partner organisations in Honduras, which are now distributing food aid, bottled water and hygiene kits to families who've had to abandon their homes.

And with the storms having wiped out this year's grain crops, aid agencies fear the floods will also worsen food insecurity across the region.

Click here to see pictures from the flooded region.

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