UN provides $30,000 to aid flood victims in Bolivia

To help the 175,000 Bolivians hit by severe flooding in this Andean Mountain nation, United Nations relief agencies have provided a $30,000 cash grant to the Bolivian Government while delivering food and nutritional supplements directly to families and children.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced today that it extended the grant as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sent specialized nutritional supplements for 5,000 kids under six years of age.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) has helped 745 families in Santa Cruz and La Paz as it works with government agencies and aid organizations to determine the population’s need for food.

As Bolivia copes with its rainy season, flooding stemming from torrential rains has affected about 34,000 families and killed over a dozen people. More than 500 dwellings were damaged or destroyed. Food, water, medicines, mosquito nets, hygiene kits and other supplies are urgently needed.

In a separate development, the Guyanese Government this weekend appealed to the international donor community for aid after flooding damaged the country, OCHA reported today.

Relief officials estimate that nearly 3,500 families were affected by the flooding of low-lying coastal and river communities since heavy rains began in December. Most of the households, which depend on agriculture, lost their livelihood as crops and livestock were destroyed by the floods. Others have no regular water supply.

While many families remain in their homes, about 400 households were relocated to five shelters managed by the national Civil Defense Commission, which has been coordinating relief efforts with UN agencies, including UNICEF and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) as well as NGOs.

About 90 per cent of Guyana’s 750,000 people live on only 10 per cent of the national territory that lies by the coast and along the east and west banks of the Demerara River.