Bolivia Under Water

MEMORANDUM

TO: Noah (the one in the bible)
FROM: The Bolivian People
RE: Assistance

If you still have an ark, it would be quite useful if you would send it here. Quickly.
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Bolivia is, quite literally under water. For weeks much of the country, particularly the tropics and in the lowlands of the east, have been inundated with flooding from heavy rains blamed on the global phenomena, El Nino.

The Bolivian government reports that basically half the Department of Beni is under water. The numbers just released from the Vice Minister of Civil Defense are grave. More than 343,000 people (70,000 families) have been flooded out of their homes. 35 people are dead (primarily in the tropical regions of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz) and six more are missing. The long-term economic impacts haven't even begun to be calculated.

Aid is available, some $25 million designated by the Bolivian government and additional pledges from the governments of Italy, Argentina, the US, Spain, Japan, Germany, France and Italy. A big part of the current problem is not the lack of assistance but the practical challenges of getting it delivered to areas under water measured by the foot. Today's local papers report that 180 tons of food destined from Cochabamba to the affected regions is stranded because of road closures. The Bolivian government has made a formal request to the US Embassy in La Paz that it lend the relief effort use of the Huey helicopters the US maintains here for its "war on coca".

In the Beni, Bolivian officials say that the water levels are rising an average of 17 centimeters (more than half a foot) per day. Weather predictions for the region warn of more rain on the way, as well as one of the sporadic summer cold fronts that come this time of year. All of this translates into even more suffering for those affected and the ever-present danger that contaminated water can lead to the widespread outbreak of infectious diseases.

If readers have specific suggestions of groups that are providing useful aid to the people affected by the floods, I hope you will share that information here on the Blog. We will leave the task of verifying the bonafides of those groups to readers.