Extra aid committed to Colombia as floods continue

Tens of thousands of homes destroyed, hundreds of thousands more damaged and no let up in sight. This is the scene in Colombia where the worst rains in 50 years continue to cause chaos across the country. 

Between September 2010 and May 2011 Colombia has received more than five times the amount of rainfall it would usually expect. 12,000 homes have been destroyed, 356,000 have been damaged and an estimated 3 million people have been affected. 

So far 1,224 ShelterBoxes have been committed in response to the flooding with distribution of emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies well underway. 

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Jen Kormendy (CA) says ShelterBox tents are already saving lives. 

‘In the small township of Piles, people are living in makeshift “cambuches” along the dirt road near their flooded homes,’ she said. 

‘We found an additional five families who were sheltering in the local school. On initial inspection it seemed the temporary shelters were adequate, however, after talking to the families it was clear that their lack of protection from mosquitoes, rats and snakes when they slept was a serious concern. 

‘We were hammered by mosquitoes in the middle of the day and could only imagine what it would be like at night with no screens or mosquito netting. In an area where malaria and dengue fever are threats, our tents will save lives.’ 

Logistical challenges

SRT member Sallie Buck (UK) says the floods have presented the Response Team with a number of logistical challenges to overcome but, by working closely with the local population and authorities, these challenges have been met. 

‘Sometimes we’ve had to be quite inventive about how we transport the ShelterBoxes as many of the roads have been washed away,’ she said. 

‘So far they’ve travelled in Naval marine vessels, canoes large and small, tractors and carts. Many of the sites are really out of the way and, for one village we visited, we had to take three different boats, a car, a walk and a motorcycle ride to reach it.

‘Colombia is an incredible country and the people we’re helping are so warm and friendly. They aren’t going to be able to return to their homes for months and many of them will have to rebuild.’ 

Colombia is used to heavy rain but the La Niña weather phenomenon has meant the rains this year have not stopped. The rainfall has saturated the country’s mountains meaning water is constantly running off them to fill the rivers which in turn flood the plains and coastal areas.  Infrastructure has also been severely damaged with mudslides triggered by the rainfall damaging roads and bridges. Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, is approximately 2,500 metres above sea level but has not been spared from the floods with areas of the city underwater. 

ShelterBox continues to work closely with the Colombian government to bring emergency aid to families across the country who are in desperate need.