At the beginning of the month, the Bolivian government reported that wildfires had affected approximately 3.8 million hectares across the country, prompting the declaration of a "national emergency."
In the department of Santa Cruz, the fires have devastated 3,374,591 hectares, with 45 active fires still burning across 17 municipalities, according to data from the Santa Cruz Governor's Office (as of 25.09.24).
Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable, facing significant health risks due to smoke exposure, food insecurity from the loss of livelihoods, limited access to safe drinking water, and disrupted education.
In many rural and marginalized areas, lack of connectivity has rendered virtual learning impossible.
National emergency response teams have mobilized to control and extinguish the fires, while also providing humanitarian assistance to affected communities. Plan International Bolivia, in collaboration with World Vision International and Save the Children, has initiated a response supported by a £200,000 Start Fund.
Authorities have indicated that additional resources are urgently needed to strengthen the emergency response. Two Emergency Response Managers have been deployed to assist in Bolivia’s recovery efforts.