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

KEY FIGURES

• 123K people affected by severe rains across Peru and Ecuador
• 84K people affected by violence and humanitarian crisis in Catatumbo, Colombia
• 13K people displaced due to armed violence since 14 February in Haiti

SOUTH AMERICA: HEAVY RAINFALL

Heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides continue to disrupt lives across parts of South America, causing casualties, displacement and damage.

COLOMBIA: Based on an analysis of prediction models by the Colombian Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), increased rainfall in Colombia’s Pacific and Amazon regions between January and March 2025 could displace an estimated 79,000 people. A further 23,300 people face high landslide risks in central and southern Colombia. Authorities emphasize the need for anticipatory action to mitigate humanitarian impacts.

ECUADOR: As of 27 February, persistent rainfall since January has affected more than 66,000 people and displaced 2,092 across 23 of Ecuador’s 24 provinces, more than double the 31,000 people reported by the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) only a day prior. The provinces of Manabí (48,748 affected individuals), Guayas (10,187), and Los Ríos remain among the hardest hit. Floodwaters have also affected more than 17,000 homes, with 40 completely destroyed, and damaged 25.9 km of key roads. SNGR maintains a red emergency alert for eight provinces and several municipalities. Further rainfall is expected along the coast until at least 3 March.

PERU: Heavy rains, floods and landslides in Peru have now affected at least 57,000 people, with 7 reported fatalities. UNICEF estimates more than 17,000 of affected are children. The severe weather has damaged nearly 28,000 homes and key infrastructure, including bridges, schools, and health facilities, across 20 regions, with Huancavelica the worst hit. A state of emergency declared on 20 February remains in effect, with additional rainfall forecast for the central Andes over the next 72 hours.

HAITI: VIOLENCE & DISPLACEMENT

Armed violence across Haiti continues to escalate, driving widespread displacement and exacerbating humanitarian needs. On 23 February, clashes in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite displaced 472 people, while ongoing violence since 14 February in several neighbourhoods in the Metropolitan Area of Port-au-Prince—including Delmas, Carrefour-Feuilles, Pétion-Ville, and Tabarre—have displaced 12,971 people, almost 11,000 more than previously reported. According to IOM, as of February 2025, 186,296 of the one million displaced people in the country are staying in 134 sites, 36 per cent of them are children. Meanwhile, the education sector is facing increasing disruptions, with 959 schools closed as of 31 January, an increase of 40 since July. These closures impact 163,000 students and 4,529 teachers, primarily in the West and Artibonite departments, where insecurity remains acute.

COLOMBIA: DISPLACEMENT

The humanitarian crisis in Catatumbo has affected at least 84,400 people, including mass and individual displacements, confinements and mobility restrictions. Triangulated data from public ministry sources and the Local Coordination Team (LCT) indicates more than 10,000 people individually displaced in the subregion, with over 8,300 in 13 municipalities of Norte de Santander and at least 1,700 fleeing to other departments, including Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Córdoba, César, Caquetá, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Santander. Mass displacements have affected more than 51,700 people. However, underreporting is likely due to the silent nature of these displacements and barriers to filing official declarations. Amid this humanitarian crisis, more than 27,600 people continue to face mobility restrictions and confinement, with limited access to essential goods and services.

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