SEATTLE - The ongoing turf wars between two Sinaloa Cartel factions has impacted the quality of life for residents in some parts of northern Mexico. Ever since the conflict erupted in September, almost 400 homicides have been reported in the state of Sinaloa alone and the waves of violence have taken a significant toll on the state's economy as well as in the everyday life of its residents.
Amid the amount of clashes between drug cartel groups and military personnel, schools in Sinaloa are coming up with protocols that educational institutes need to follow in case of an emergency.
As reported by El Sol de Sinaloa, Gloria Himelda Félix Niebla, Sinaloa's secretary of education, said the new protocols went into effect before the federal government deployed military personnel to the area and that the suggestions are applicable for every state in Mexico.
Félix Niebla also added that 111 schools out of the 992 registered institutions in Culiacán remain closed due to cartel-related violence.
"We have seen positive improvements," she said. "We should remember that we had more than 215 schools closed, which means we have seen a decrease of almost 50 percent of schools that were affected" Félix Niebla added.
Among the protocols drawn out by officials, they suggest educators should be aware of risk indicators such as how far is the shootout or if a bullet reached the walls and windows of a classroom.
Other recommendations include to contact authorities in case of a shootout as well as family members of the students to give them a sense of peace of mind.
The guidelines also highlight that educators and school personnel should not evacuate the classrooms during a shootout and suggest avoiding any contact whatsoever with the attackers, concretely avoiding taking any pictures or recording videos of the assailants.
Death toll in Sinaloa close to reach 400 since September
Since the two most prominent factions of the Sinaloa Cartel started a war for control over drug smuggling routes and territories in northern Mexico, news outlet Noroeste reports that, as of Nov. 13, at least 395 homicides have been reported since Sept. 9, when the conflict erupted.
Averaging six homicides per day, homicides is just one part of the problem caused by cartel-related violence. The outlet reports that at least 459 people have gone missing, for an average of seven a day.
Wave of violence is also taking a toll on Culiacán's economy
The ongoing violence has also affected Culiacán's economy. Laura Guzmán, the leader of the local restaurant chamber, said about 180 businesses in the city have closed, permanently or temporarily, since Sept. 9 and almost 2,000 jobs have been lost.
"Young people are not interested in going out right now," Guzmán said.
In response, the Mexican government has sent additional troops to Sinaloa as part of an ongoing effort to address the violence stemming from the cartel wars raging in the state of Sinaloa.
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