Needs Rising in Flood Stricken Bolivia

ATLANTA, United States (February 23, 2007) - For the second consecutive year, heavy rains are hammering Bolivia, forcing more than 340,000 people from their homes and killing at least 35 in the South American country. At the same time, people continue to struggle to recover from last year's floods. The government has declared a national emergency and appealed for international assistance. CARE staff has been canvassing the severely afflicted departments of Chuquisaca, Potosi and Tarija where CARE works, as well as in Beni, a remote area where nearly half of the population has been affected by the flooding.

“We are mobilizing resources to provide seeds to farmers to help ensure that people have access to an adequate supply of food,” says Barbara Jackson, country director for CARE in Bolivia. “The rain has saturated the soil, ruining crops and causing mudslides, wiping out people's assets. If these assets are not replaced, the traditional harvest season in August and September will turn into a hungry season instead. Replenishing seeds is the kind of longer term emergency assistance that is critical to recovery.”

Landslides are blocking access to roads and principal cities, making it difficult to reach people.

“It is vital to get roads working again so that people can connect,” says Jackson. “CARE is also planning to establish a cash-for-work program to repair roads destroyed by landslides and ensure access to markets and social services.”

The organization aims to reach 35,000 people in need and is also coordinating with other nongovernmental organizations and local authorities to carry out an assessment in Beni, an isolated department in the Amazon basin. No one yet knows the extent of the damage and possible casualties in the area, although CARE is communicating closely with local authorities to determine the situation and needs. The population there is widely dispersed, with many people working as laborers on mahogany plantations and in the Brazil nut industry while others barely survive by farming.

Meteorologists are predicting more rain for the coming week, two weeks past the time the rains stopped last year. “More and more people are being hurt by the flooding,” added Jackson. “More international assistance is needed to meet the rising needs of survivors.”

About CARE: CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE began working in Bolivia in 1976 and its portfolio includes projects in primary health care, water and sanitation, family planning, agriculture and natural resources management, community organization and institutional strengthening. The organization responded to the severe flooding in the department of Santa Cruz last year, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.K Department for International Development (DIFID). CARE's response went beyond the emergency to address reconstruction and rehabilitation needs, particularly in terms of helping people in the central highlands obtain access to a secure food supply.