Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 28 March 2025

KEY FIGURES

• 500K people affected by a major oil spill in Ecuado
• 378K families affected by heavy rainfall and flooding in Bolivia
• 59K people affected by armed conflict in Cauca, Colombia so far in 2025

ECUADOR: OIL SPILL

Response efforts continue following the 13 March oil spill in Esmeraldas province, which has affected an estimated 500,000 people with ongoing water shortages, health risks, and economic losses in fishing and tourism. The spill, which released over 25,000 barrels of crude oil across 86 km, has contaminated key water sources and coastal areas, leading to respiratory illnesses and toxic exposure. The government has declared a state of emergency, but gaps remain in water access, health services, and livelihoods, exacerbated by heavy rains and security concerns linked to organized crime. The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for $4.5 million, while UNDAC, the Joint Environment Unit (JEU), and humanitarian partners are conducting rapid assessments and coordinating relief efforts. Despite containment and remediation efforts by EP PETROECUADOR, local political tensions and insecurity further complicate response operations.

BOLIVIA: HEAVY RAINFALL

On 26 March, the Bolivian government officially declared a state of national emergency after weeks of heavy rains and flooding. Since the beginning of the year, the severe weather has affected 378,885 families in 209 municipalities across all nine departments, leaving 51 fatalities, 2,596 houses affected, 818 destroyed, and significant impact on crops, infrastructure and education facilities. President Luis Arce emphasized that this is the most extreme rainfall season the country has witnessed in 40 years and announced the activation of emergency mechanisms to enable external financing, fast-tracked procurement, and resource mobilization to affected areas.

COLOMBIA: ARMED CONFLICT

The humanitarian crisis in Cauca, Colombia, remains critical following intensified armed violence since October 2024. This week alone, armed conflict affected at least 1,700 people across 11 municipalities, further deteriorating security and protection for the 59,300 impacted so far in 2025. Since 26 March, a non-state armed group has escalated attacks, detonating explosives in urban areas and injuring 64 civilians, including six children. In Suárez, a drone-deployed improvised explosive device (IED) struck near the municipal hospital. Cauca now accounts for 46 per cent of Colombia’s explosive-related incidents this year. Indigenous communities in northern Cauca also face mobility restrictions, with homes damaged and roads blocked by unexploded ordnance. These indiscriminate attacks violate International Humanitarian Law, worsening humanitarian needs. At least nine humanitarian missions were suspended, while 1,237 children had schooling disrupted. Communication breakdowns suggest even higher numbers. Security threats have also forced aid suspensions in Nariño and Valle del Cauca.

HAITI: CHOLERA

Haiti faces a growing cholera threat, with at least 975 suspected cases and 15 deaths recorded in 2025, primarily in the most impoverished and violence-affected areas of Port-au-Prince. Recent armed violence has displaced over 65,000 people, adding to the 250,000 already seeking refuge in overcrowded sites with poor water and sanitation conditions. On 20 March, cholera cases were confirmed in at least three IDP sites, raising fears of a rapid outbreak, particularly with the onset of the rainy season. Humanitarian and medical organizations are urgently calling for increased resources to contain the spread and prevent a larger health crisis amid the worsening humanitarian situation.