September 19, 2018 —  One year before the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 200,000 Salvadorans in the United States, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has launched its new website: cuentanos.org.

CuéntaNos is an interactive platform that provides critical and reliable information to those in vulnerable situations and others in need of support, including through a dynamic map of El Salvador with information on housing and other protective services.

In a 2017 needs assessment, the IRC identified that displaced individuals in El Salvador lacked information on the available protective services, and how to access them. CuéntaNos answers this need through the provision of information on a variety of services such as health, education, legal assistance, citizen protection, shelter, employment and work programs, and many others.

With the launch of cuentanos.org, the IRC hopes to help individuals and families in vulnerable situations reestablish and stabilise their lives through the provision of trustworthy and easily accessible information and connection to protective services. Additionally, CuéntaNos promotes communication and coordination between civil society, government, and international actors operating in and out of the country, facilitating reference channels and filling gaps in current assistance. To date, the IRC has over 50 participating organisations and nearly 400 individual service sites on the platform, from civil society to Salvadoran government institutions.

Said Meghan Lopez, Head of Mission, IRC El Salvador -

“Vulnerable Salvadorians have told us they need access to trustworthy information so they can reach life-saving services. CuéntaNos aims to map these services in a way that is simple and easy to use. With the prospect of U.S. TPS holders being deported within twelve months, we could be in a race against time to protect deportees or returnees from danger.

“The IRC continues to hold the position that El Salvador remains unsafe for the return of hundreds of thousands of TPS holders, and that asylum seekers fleeing persecution in El Salvador have legitimate protection claims that must be heard. Regardless, we will continue to diligently prepare in the coming year to support peer organisations, civil society, and most importantly, the families such misguided policies may impact.”

CuéntaNos is a resource and tool for all who need it and can use it, those in El Salvador, those in the US looking to support loved ones in El Salvador, and those who may be forced to return. CuéntaNos is part of a global platform called Signpost, a joint initiative by IRC and Mercy Corps. For more, see IRC’s video on CuéntaNos. Looking for support? CuéntaNos. (Tell us)

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