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 “Rio Valle”. principal of the region, fed by record rains in the mountainous highlands. The lower Chocó region on the Pacific coast, home to a large majority of the Afro-Colombian population, was severely affected, with more than 20 of the 31 communes flooded. Among them are beneficiaries of SWISSAID projects.
An alarming human and material toll
In all, more than 30,000 families across the region were affected, according to the Colombian authorities. Already fragile local infrastructures were unable to withstand the floods. Many families were left destitute and homeless. What’s more, these communities, heavily dependent on agriculture, have also suffered considerable losses, with flooded fields and decimated plantations.
“What concerns us most is that food crops have deteriorated and people have no food or drinking water,” said the mayor of San Juan, one of the coastal communities affected.
Astrid Álvarez Aristizábal, head of the Bahia Solano region and agro-ecology specialist at SWISSAID Colombia, agrees. She is particularly concerned about the fate of the indigenous communities involved in vanilla cultivation many vanilla growers live and work in Pozamansa, so we’re very worried!
Most of the infrastructure and homes, such as a school in Pozamansa, have been flooded or destroyed by the floods. Astrid Álvarez Aristizábal, responsible for the Bahia Solano region and agro-ecology specialist at SWISSAID Colombia, expresses her concern for the population.
Many vanilla growers live and work in Pozamansa, we are very worried!
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Emergency assistance
Communication with the population is almost impossible, limiting coordination efforts for the relief effort. The situation in the region is further complicated by the fact that the National Liberation Army (ELN) has issued a strike notice and launched armed attacks, hampering the mobilization of humanitarian aid.
Despite these challenges, SWISSAID continues to work with its local partners to assess immediate needs and provide support, particularly in the areas of health, food and reconstruction. Emergency aid will be organized over the coming days.
Record precipitation
Rainfall on November 8, 2024 reached 210 mm in a single day, an absolute record for the region. “Never has such an amount of rain been recorded in the region in 8 years,” explains Carmen Lucía Gómez, collaborator at SWISSAID in Colombia, which has been collecting meteorological data since 2017. This phenomenon comes against a backdrop of climate change aggravating the frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the country.
