Attachments
Geneva, 24 th September 2014
1. Brief description of the emergency and impact
Bolivia was hit by the worst flooding in the last 60 years in the first 4 months of this year. According to the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Bolivia (SENAMHI), « la niña » and « el niño » phenomena caused overflowing of « La Paz » and « Maniqui » rivers, impacting thousands of families in Beni and Cochabamba departments.
According to the Humanitarian Network of Bolivia 60,000 families have been affected, 2,000 households destroyed and 150,000 head of cattle and a number of small livestock lost. 146 out of 339 communities still are affected by the post floods conditions. The affected population is suffering from a lack of drinking water systems which had increased related diseases such as gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory infections, and skin irritation, mostly in pregnant women and children.
Family farms have not yet recovered due to the scarce economic resources for buying seeds and animals.
2. Why is an ACT response needed?
The extended impact of flood damages and its after effects are beyond the local capacities, families are far away from rebuilding a normal life and productivity. The ACT support will contribute to reduce their vulnerabilities and restore human dignity.