04/24/2013 20:18 GMT

QUITO, April 24, 2013 (AFP) - A landslide swept into a village in northern Ecuador, burying homes and killing at least 14 people, authorities said Wednesday.

"There were 14 people killed in a landslide in Tabete" civil defense reported on Twitter, of the town near the Colombian border.

After days of heavy rain, the landslide buried homes in tonnes of earth and debris in the town located in Esmeraldas province, said Mayor Ernesto Estupinan of nearby Esmeraldas city.

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03/03/2013 19:35 GMT

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, March 3, 2013 (AFP) - At least eight people were killed by flooding in southwestern Ecuador following several hours of torrential rains, officials said Sunday.

"Unfortunately, there have been eight victims so far as a result of the flooding," said Viviana Bonilla, governor of the coastal province of Guayas where the flooding occurred.

Bonilla told reporters that six people died by electrocution and one by drowning. The eighth victims was a child who was washed away by the floods and presumed dead.

Following UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's initiative “Unite to end violence against women”, UN Women, UNICEF and WFP have begun a campaign in Ecuador to raise public awareness that gender violence is neither natural nor acceptable, although in Ecuador it is still commonplace.

11/10/2012 – In Ecuador, UNICEF and other DIPECHO partners are working to strengthen the role of the education community in preparedness and response to ensure children’s right to education in emergencies and to strengthen the resilience and preparedness of schools.

IDB loan for $40 million will benefit 35 parishes in the most vulnerable areas of the coast, the highlands, and the Amazon

Ecuador will help foster the comprehensive development of children under age five living in vulnerable areas through the improvement of improving maternal and child health, nutrition, and early education activities with the help of a loan for $40 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

GLIDE n° FR-2012-000167-ECU

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross and Red Crescent emergency response. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation’s disaster response system and increases the ability of National Societies to respond to disasters.

09/07/2012 17:53 GMT

QUITO, Sept 7, 2012 (AFP) - Ecuador announced Friday it had shut down 26 aid groups, after a three-year process, for not giving authorities a required report on their mission in the country.

"This wasn't done overnight and it is not an expulsion," the director of the agency, Gabriela Rosero, emphasized in a statement to Andes, the state news agency.

These groups "have not respected" their obligation, which is specified in the agreement with Ecuador, a source at the Foreign Ministry's international cooperation agency told AFP.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• The 2012 main season rice crop adversely affected by pest attacks and heavy rains

• Cereal imports to remain steady

• Rice prices on the increase

The 2012 main season rice crop affected by pest attacks and heavy rains