Aid reaches flood-hit Colombian families

9 December 2010: Plan’s emergency teams are responding to the needs of over 500 families caught up in the worst floods to hit Colombia in 40 years.

Heavy and continuous rains have affected more than half of the country, killing 160 people and affecting some 1,200,000 people. It is feared that the weather phenomenon ‘La Niña’ could worsen the situation over the next month. 

Emergency supplies

Plan has distributed food, water, cooking utensils, hygiene kits as well as clothes and mattresses to families in the Bolivar department of Colombia.

As well as responding to immediate emergency needs, Plan will scale up its response to deal with the recovery phase for the communities affected. Work to prevent the spread of disease is also underway.

Thousands of children supported by Plan have had their homes washed away and classrooms destroyed. Crops have also been destroyed, which will affect food supplies over the coming months.

Serious concern

Plan staff are concerned that if the emergency and recovery needs of the communities are not met, child protection and access to education will become a serious issue. 

“We know that several schools, classrooms and teaching materials have been destroyed by the floods and it could take months to get these schools up and running again,” said Plan’s country director in Colombia, Gabriela Bucher. 

“We are also running child protection workshops with families and communities to ensure no vulnerable child is put at risk.”

Visit the Plan in Colombia website (in Spanish) to learn more.

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