United Nations assisting in coordinating Bolivian relief

(New York, 23 February 2006): The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team in Bolivia has established an On-site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC) within the local Emergency Operations Center. Six working groups in health, food, shelter, education, rehabilitation and infrastructure/re-channelling of the river have been established in order to determine the needs and coordinate the response.
In January, intensive rainfall caused severe floods and flash floods in several parts of the country. January rainfall over most of northern Bolivia regions by far exceeded the historical average. As a result, the highlands and most of the rivers of the Amazon basin have overflowed. The most affected areas of the country are the departments of Santa Cruz, La Paz, Beni and Pando, while Cochabamba, Potosi, Tarija, and Chuquisaca are also affected.

At least 13,000 families are known to have been affected so far, although some zones remain inaccessible. In the Santa Cruz region, due to flash floods on 20-21 January 2006, the Rio Grande River is now flowing in some areas up to 30 kilometres away from its original course. In Santa Cruz alone, agricultural losses amount to approximately USD 7 million, and thousands of hectares of farmed land have been destroyed. This is a major issue as no harvest will be possible until November. Many homes in affected areas of the country have been damaged or destroyed, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges has suffered significant damage as well. Some 300 kilometres of roads and some water drainage need to be repaired. Eighteen schools were also damaged.

On 27 January 2006, the Government of Bolivia issued Supreme Decree No. 28610 declaring a national emergency and authorizing the Bolivian authorities to appeal for international assistance.

The National Directorate of Civil Defence has been distributing food and non-food items such as clothes, kitchen sets and tents to the affected population. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have been providing aid. Donor countries including Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Cuba, Japan, Peru, the United States, and Venezuela have reported contributions to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

According to the authorities, priority needs in Santa Cruz at this stage are financing the retaining and re-channelling of the river's flow; rehabilitating cultivated areas and providing agricultural tools and supplies to reactivate the local economy; and repairing damaged secondary roads.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.