Brazil: Floods in Rio Grande do Sul - United Nations Situation Report, as of 12 July 2024

This report has been produced with the support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), covering the period from 25 June to 10 July. If required, an update will be produced within the next 10 days, depending on the evolution of the situation on the ground and the information available from impacted areas.

KEY MESSAGES

• 14 UN agencies engaged to address critical needs in humanitarian assistance, early recovery, and reconstruction efforts.
• Although water levels have receded and several areas are now accessible for humanitarian aid, meteorological forecasts predict more rain and alerts remain active in Rio Grande do Sul.
• UN agencies support the government to open the first 3 Humanitarian Reception Centers (CHA) for people affected by the floods in Southern Brazil.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

After nearly two months and a half of the historic floods that began on 29 April 2024 and affected 2.3 M people of almost 90% of municipalities of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, the UN, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, continues to support the national and local government response to the floods in the South of the country, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable. This includes 14 UN agencies engaged to address critical needs in humanitarian assistance, early recovery, and reconstruction efforts. The UN Resident Coordinator's Office, with support from the OCHA Regional Office, is streamlining information flows and strengthening coordination for various sectors, including shelter, camp coordination and management, education, health, protection, shelter, and water and sanitation.

The unprecedented floods have required a massive response. Despite early recovery efforts and the gradual restoration of basic services, hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced. According to the latest reports from the Civil Defense, 386,000 people remain displaced, with around 4,873 are in 117 shelters. The death toll has risen to 182, with 29 people still missing and 806 were reported injured.

Although water levels have receded and several areas are now accessible to assistance, meteorological forecasts predict more rain and alerts remain active in Rio Grande do Sul. Beyond the destruction and human toll, Rio Grande do Sul floods have severe socio-economic impacts, as families also lost their means of life, crops, and livestock.