The European Commission grants €1 million for victims of the floods in Bolivia

Continuous heavy rains since early January triggered severe flooding in Bolivia. The European Commission adopts an emergency decision of €1 million to assist the victims. The aid will target a population of 6,000 families, around 30,000 people, living in the most severely affected departments of the country. The funding will be channelled through ECHO, the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department, which comes under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

Funded programmes will meet the most urgent needs of the victims, in terms of water and sanitation, health, emergency repairs to health centres and schools, and disaster preparedness. Food security activities will complement short-term emergency agricultural activities, such as seeds distribution. Priority will be given to isolated communities in the most remote areas. Aid programmes will also take into account the special needs of vulnerable groups, such as children under five, women heads of households, and elderly, disabled and indigenous minorities. With a view to help people to help themselves next time, disaster risk reduction awareness raising will be supported for 4,000 families at risk and authorities.

Commenting on the decision, Louis Michel emphasized: "The European Commission is committed to assist the most vulnerable people affected by the flooding. Our field experts together with the humanitarian organisations have conducted extensive needs assessments. I am confident that the relief operations the European Commission is going to fund, will make the difference for the affected people".

January rainfall greatly exceeded average, overflowing Bolivia's highlands and most of the rivers of the Amazon basin, thereby causing serious damage to houses, crops, roads and other basic infrastructure. The most affected departments are Potosi, Santa Cruz, La Paz, Beni and Cochabamba. At this day, floods and mudslides triggered by the heavy rains have left at least 23 persons dead. In addition to the loss of their homes, many families have also lost their crops, their only source of food and income.

As bad weather conditions continue and major roads and bridges have been damaged, government agencies as well as aid organisations experience difficulties in accessing the disaster areas. Since the rainy season is just beginning, an aggravation of the situation is highly probable.

| Arriba |

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