The heavy rains that began almost a month ago in Rio Grande do Sul and that in some way damaged 93% of the cities and towns in that Brazilian state are so far the largest weather-related incident in that area of the country, which suffered devastating floods with a preliminary toll of 163 dead and around 580,000 displacedof which there are still more than 65,000 housed in temporary shelters.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has worked since the beginning of the emergency, in coordination with the Brazilian authorities, to assist the affected population and is expanding its response to reach more people affected by the tragedy, including 43,000 refugees in need of international protection.
To provide help to refugees, in their majority Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans,, and to the communities that host them, UNHCR requested 3.21 million dollars from international donors.
The assistance provided by the agency to the most vulnerable people includes transfers of funds and essential supplies.
Distribution of essential aid
An Agency team specialized in shelter management, documentation and prevention of gender violence is in disaster areas and is coordinating the receipt of relief items. It also assists improve the functioning of sheltersespecially in Porto Alegre, the state capital.
Last Monday, UN staff received and began distributing Refugee Housing Units and mats. In the coming days, jerrycans, backpacks, adult diapers, tarps, solar lamps, mosquito nets and health and hygiene kits will arrive from UNHCR stocks in Colombia and Panama.
In collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR visits shelters to survey refugees and migrants, assess their needs and support the most urgent cases.
Another priority is reissue of lost documentation.
According to government data, the state of Río Grande do Sul hosts more than 21,000 Venezuelans who have been relocated since April 2018 from the state of Roraima, on the border with Venezuela.
The rains will continue
Weather forecasts indicate that It will continue to rain for the next few days with strong winds, thunderstorms and possible hail in some areas.
Furthermore, it is expected that a cyclone bring more rain with constant winds to the coast of Rio Grande do Sul.
Extreme weather events in Brazil have been more frequent and devastating in recent years, including droughts in the Amazon region and heavy rains in the states of Bahia and Acre.
Insufficient resources
UNHCR has responded to all these emergencies but the resources to address the effects of events due to climate change are insufficient in the face of numerous forced displacements and the needs that this generates both among the uprooted population and among the host communities.
The Agency recalled that climate change hits refugees disproportionately and other people who need international help and protection, who generally live in vulnerable areas and prone to the effects of extreme and recurring climate events.
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