Ecuador: rains continue, provoking landslides and increasing vulnerability of the rural poor
In the face of intensifying rain and ongoing
floods, WFP continues to provide emergency food rations to over 23,000
destitute flood victims. To date, WFP has distributed a total of
18,340 food rations, each supplying the basic nutritional needs of a single
family for one month.
The distribution of the food rations has proven particularly difficult due to the deterioration of access road and the remote locations of many victims, often hours of difficult river navigation away from the nearest town.
The distribution of the food rations has proven particularly difficult due to the deterioration of access road and the remote locations of many victims, often hours of difficult river navigation away from the nearest town.
Over the weekend of 21-22 July, a new major mudslide was reported, this time on the road connecting the southern provinces of Loja and Zamora Chinchipe. Four people have been reported killed with two more injured and one missing. Authorities have not finalized the tally of casualties, as more may be discovered as the clean up efforts continue. A new mudslide also occurred the same weekend in northeastern province of Napo; thus far no casualties have been reported.
In the four Amazon provinces, continuing rain has precipitated new landslides and property destruction, with a resulting increase in danger to the local population.