Torrential rains have plunged the Chocó region on Colombia’s Pacific coast into a major humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of families are severely affected. SWISSAID is launching an emergency relief effort.
Facts
Aims
To ensure food security for the population over the coming months, the project will distribute seeds and food parcels. A technical specialist provides on-site support for sowing and maintaining cultivated fields. He is also advising vanilla growers on how to resume production.
Thousands of people in need
Colombia has declared a national state of emergency in response to massive flooding in the northwest of the country. The floods were caused by the overflowing of the Valle River, the region’s main river, fed by record rains in the mountainous highlands.
In all, more than 30,000 families across the region were affected, according to the Colombian authorities. Their homes and infrastructure were destroyed, and their fields devastated. Crops of bananas, yucca, taro (root vegetables), corn, sugar cane and many others were all destroyed, leaving the inhabitants with no means of survival.
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Thousands of people in need
In all, more than 30,000 families across the region were affected, according to the Colombian authorities. Communities’ homes and infrastructure were destroyed, and their fields devastated. Crops of bananas, yucca, taro (root vegetables), corn, sugar cane and many others were all destroyed, leaving the inhabitants with no means of survival.
On-site help
The emergency project distributes food parcels to 400 families affected by flooding in the Choco region. A social worker coordinates the purchase of food, its transport to the affected areas and its final distribution. In all, 5 indigenous communities, the indigenous village of Cupica and two Afro-Colombian communities near the village of El Valle will receive food aid.
To ensure food production over the coming months, the project will also distribute local banana, yucca and corn seeds. A technical advisor will be on site to supervise the sowing and maintenance of the fields.
Finally, special support is being provided to vanilla growers. Vanilla crops were severely damaged by the floods, and it will take around two years for the restored crops to produce vanilla again. They will receive advice on how to restore their production, and meals will be provided for the working days.
