Floods displace thousands in Bolivia

A family displaced by the floods take shelter at the refugee camp in Santa Cruz

19 February 2008: Plan is providing emergency aid to help victims of heavy flooding in Bolivia which has already affected more than 60,000 families.

Caused by the ‘La Nina’ climate phenomenon, the floods have so far caused the deaths of 52 people, damaged hundreds of houses and destroyed more than 600,000 hectares of crops.

Hundreds of people who have been rescued and taken to camps are now suffering from waterbourne diseases and acute diarrhoea.

Mass evacuations

Plan does not work in the worst affected area of Beni – but supports communities in Santa Cruz, which is also badly affected.

Here the rivers burst their banks and thousands of stranded families have been evacuated to camps and shelters.

The shelters are improvised and although the municipality has distributed mattresses and food rations – it is not enough.

In other areas where communities have lost their crops, Plan is organising support for food security and rehabilitation in Icla Zudañez, Mojocoya and Yamparaez de Chuqisaca and Betanzos and Puna in Potosí.

Make a donation

Please help Plan to support those affected by making a donation via the Plan Canada website.

Your donations will go towards emergency aid – including food, bedding and treated mosquito nets - as well as to long-term recovery efforts.

The rain is expected to continue through to March with river levels estimated to rise 3 feet above last year's recorded level.