Atlanta (March 3, 2006) — Record rainfall, as well as floods, hail and snow in Bolivia are driving more and more people from their homes. Approximately 280,000 people are now affected by the disaster and officials expect more rain in the coming weeks.
"Rural communities in remote areas such as Pando and Potosi are extremely difficult to get to, because rivers and roads that normally provide access are still blocked with debris," says Barbara Jackson, Country Director for CARE in Bolivia. "So the numbers of people affected by this disaster are likely to rise even higher."
The newly displaced are sheltering in already-congested camps, where water and sanitation are problematic due to the rising numbers of people and security is a major concern, especially for women and children.
"It's crucial to protect women and children — the most vulnerable people in the camps — from both sexual and labor-based violence and exploitation," says Jackson. "It's a very common issue in camps for refugees and displaced people all over the world and must be dealt with urgently."
CARE staff report that women at the camp have expressed fears about their personal safety, telling staff: "I am afraid to leave the tent at night," and "There is no one to guard us here."
CARE is contracting experienced staff to provide support, orientation and security management in the camp and is urging local authorities to provide increased security. CARE is also working with SexSalud, a local non-governmental organization, to develop and implement plans to prevent exploitation of the most vulnerable. CARE is working in five camps, including the largest camp in Santa Cruz, providing modified tents that provide improved ventilation and protection from malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The organization is also providing water containers and other basic supplies for approximately 5,000 people. CARE is currently working with the municipality to enhance water supply from municipal sources to the camps. This will limit contamination and help prevent disease.
CARE also is working to fulfill the critical need of communities to regain their livelihoods. A CARE assessment mission to the highland area of Potosi identified rural poor communities that have lost between 60-100 percent of their upcoming harvests.
"The next planting season is still months away, " says Jackson. "So these losses are a serious threat to the survival of these communities if steps are not taken immediately to help."
CARE is addressing this threat in an innovative way — by introducing highly nutritious crops such as beets, kale and spinach, that will grow in greenhouses made out of local materials. The greenhouses will enable these crops to grow at high altitudes. The organization is combining this approach with traditional means of restarting livelihoods.
"CARE also is supplying communities with small animals — ducks and chickens — that will help supplement people's diets and provide them with more income to buy food," adds Jackson. "Longer-term support, over the next six to 18 months, is vital to ensure people will have access to an adequate supply of food and be able to rebuild both their homes and assets."
The situation in Bolivia is expected to worsen as heavy rains are forecast for the coming weeks. CARE estimates that 9,000 people (1500 families) will remain in camps for approximately six months, based on its previous experience in the country.
"Not enough resources have been made available to meet the significant needs in this emergency," says Jackson. "The international donor community must step up its support to meet these needs. The inability to do so could lead to unrest and instability in the country."
