Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 7 February 2025

KEY FIGURES

• 28K people facing mobility restrictions due to clashes in Cauca, Colombia
• 4.1K people displaced due to ongoing flooding in Brazil
• 1.2K people displaced due to clashes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on 28-29 January

SOUTH AMERICA: HEAVY RAINFALL

Bolivia: Heavy rainfall is bringing widespread flooding and landslides to several departments across Bolivia. As of 5 February, the Ministry of Defence of Bolivia (MINDEF) reports 23 fatalities across the departments of Chuquisaca, La Paz, Tarija, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz and Potosí, with missing persons in Chuquisaca and La Paz. In Cobija city, Pando department, flooding has affected 100 families, with 30 evacuated. Authorities are coordinating aid in the hardest-hit areas. Heavy rainfall is expected across most of the country in the next 48 hours, increasing the risk of further flooding.

Brazil: Severe weather in northeastern and southeastern Brazil has caused fatalities and displacement. In Pernambuco state, Recife has reported six deaths and over 100 displaced due to floods, while Maceió in Alagoas state recorded three deaths and 30 displaced. Recife has declared a maximum alert, closing schools. In Minas Gerais state, ongoing heavy rains since September 2024 have intensified, causing 26 deaths, mostly in Ipatinga. The weather has displaced more than 4,000 people across 141 municipalities in the state, with 400 in public shelters and the rest seeking shelter with friends or family. Heavy rainfall is expected over western Minas Gerais in the coming days.

Ecuador: Heavy rains continue to trigger landslides and sinkholes in northern Ecuador, damaging infrastructure and affecting communities. In the province of Imbabura, a landslide in Pimampiro destroyed crops, damaged a house, and endangered a family, while a collapsed roadbed in Cotacachi left 1,500 people without water, forcing school closures. Authorities warn of continued heavy rainfall through February, particularly in the Amazon, Inter-Andean corridor, and Coastal region. National and local authorities have mobilized resources to assess damage and implement preventive measures.

HAITI: VIOLENCE & DISPLACEMENT

Violence in Haiti continues to drive unprecedented displacement, particularly in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area (ZMPAP), which remains the epicentre of the crisis. On 28 and 29 January, armed clashes in the neighborhoods of Bas Peu de Chose and Morne à Turf in Port-au-Prince displaced 1,238 people (288 households). According to IOM, many sought refuge in newly established displacement sites in Lalue and Bourdon, while others found shelter in existing sites in Bas Peu de Chose. This incident comes just days after coordinated attacks in Kenscoff on 27-28 January displaced almost 1,700 people, as reported last week. Despite the ongoing insecurity, humanitarian actors remain active in responding to the urgent needs of vulnerable populations, including women, children, and men.

COLOMBIA: CONFLICT & RESTRICTIONS

In the southwestern department of Cauca, at least 28,000 people in the municipalities of Suárez and Buenos Aires are facing mobility restrictions after a non-state armed group (NSAG) ordered communities to remain indoors for five days due to potential clashes. Additionally, the use of IEDs, targeted homicides and ongoing armed clashes are posing high protection risks for an estimated 10,000 people in Argelia, Cajibío, Morales, Suárez, and Patía. Clashes between state forces and a NSAG on 31 January, displaced at least 1,000 people towards the urban centre of El Plateado, Cauca. Families have returned home without accompaniment, leaving them highly vulnerable to further displacement due to ongoing security threats. Many victims are hesitant to report displacements due to fear of reprisals by NSAGs, leading to underreporting and restricted access to protection and aid. The ongoing conflicts have also caused damage to 65 homes, civilian casualties, and school closures affecting 1,308 students.