Wednesday 27 February 2008
ShelterBox responds to state of emergency
The government in Bolivia declared a state of emergency with close to 60,000 families affected by heavy flooding. Over the last couple of days dbo based ShelterBox volunteers have packed boxes equipped with aid to help some of these families whose homes where washed away when rivers burst their banks after sustained and frequent rainfall.
200 ShelterBoxes are currently leaving the warehouse, the ShelterBox Response Team managers are planning deployment details for the safe and much needed distribution.
Many families have been cut off from surrounding areas after refusing to be evacuated from their homes despite rising water levels. The most affected region is Beni where over 13,000 people have been flooded out of their accommodation.
Santa Cruz was badly affected after rivers swelled to ‘extreme’ leaving thousands of stranded families to be evacuated to camps and shelters. Of those who have been rescued and taken to camps, hundreds are suffering from waterborne diseases and other illnesses.
Shelters and camps are currently improvised by the survivors, and despite mattresses and food supplies being distributed by the municipality it is not enough. Hundreds of children are living in sub-standard, temporary accommodation, with poor sanitation plagued with mosquitoes.
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