According to Deputy Civil Defense Minister Juan Carlos Calvimontes, at least 20 individuals have lost their lives in Bolivia over the course of slightly more than two months as a result of heavy precipitation and floods in seven of the country’s nine departments, as reported on Tuesday.
Calvimontes also stated that between Nov. 20, 2023 and January 2024, abundant rainfall, hailstorms and frosts have resulted in significant damage in 41 municipalities and 154 communities. The western department of La Paz has been the most severely impacted, with 14 municipalities and 63 communities being affected by the natural disasters.
As a result of the rains, 9,075 families have been displaced, 4,097 people have been left homeless, and 159 homes have been damaged, including 44 that were completely destroyed.
Despite the government’s distribution of 131 tons of humanitarian aid, additional assistance is required given the magnitude of the catastrophe, according to Calvimontes.
The official further added that the situation remains critical, and that eight departments have been placed on alert until Jan. 27 due to the risk of rivers overflowing.
On Monday, a tragic incident occurred in La Paz, resulting in the deaths of four individuals when a vehicle was swept away by floodwater while trying to cross a river in the municipality of Irupana.
