Tens of thousands of people affected by extensive flooding in Colombia need urgent help, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said today.
The IFRC is appealing for 1.1 million Swiss francs (958,000 US dollars/758,000 euro) to provide humanitarian aid and support to 5,000 families – around 25,000 people – in the coming six months. The operation will include the provision of relief items, safe drinking water, basic health services, and tools or materials to restore livelihoods.
“The needs are essential household items such as jerry cans, kitchen kits, family hygiene kits, mattresses, bed sheets mosquito nets and shelter materials,” says Jean-Pierre Taschereau, the IFRC’s operations coordinator for the Pan American Disaster Response Unit.
“The impact of the floods goes beyond immediate provision of emergency assistance. Longer-term recovery needs must involve the restoration of livelihoods,” he adds.
Latest reports indicate that more than 31,250 people have been affected by the flooding, with one fatality and 22 people listed as missing. The regions of Antioquia, Tolima, Santander, Cauca and Nariño have experienced the floods, which were caused by heavy rain.
Nariño is located in the Andean region between Ecuador and Colombia. Around 20,000 hectares of land were affected, 104 schools and 1,400 houses have been damaged, and 1,125 houses were completely destroyed.
The Colombian Red Cross Society has been active since the start of the emergency, providing coordination of relief efforts, damage evaluation, needs assessments and initial assistance to the affected population. The Red Cross Red Crescent has already provided ten tonnes of relief aid, including 1,500 hygiene kits, 1,500 kitchen kits, 3,000 food parcels, 30 plastic sheet rolls and safe water to the most affected people.
Many Red Cross volunteers have been mobilized and 13 emergency shelters are being directly managed by the Colombian Red Cross through the Colombian Civil Defence.
"The situation is delicate. This is an area that requires long-term assistance, mainly to stabilize livelihoods. The Red Cross continues to mobilize its resources and we consider we will need at least 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid to assist affected people," said Carlos Ivan Marquez, relief director of the Colombian Red Cross.