The US donated resources to Colombia for those affected by rains in Chocó

The United States Government donated $100,000 to Colombia to help the department of Chocó in which The torrential rains of recent weeks left more than 150,000 people affected in 27 of 31 municipalities.

The donation was made through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which stated this Saturday in a statement that “this effort seeks to mitigate the most urgent needs of the affected communities”. This new contribution, says the Agency, adds to the joint work that the United States carries out with international partners and the Colombian Government to address the humanitarian emergency. The resources will allow the purchase and distribution of essential supplies, such as shelter kits, hygiene and other priority materials.

Due to the damage caused by the rains, Colombia declared a disaster situation last week, which will last for 12 months, and efforts are focused on three areas. “on a much larger scale”in the words of President Gustavo Petro, which are the departments of Amazonas, Chocó and La Guajira. USAID recalled that since the beginning of the crisis it allocated $40,000 through its Regional Disaster Assistance Program (RDAP), allowing the delivery of nearly 1,900 hygiene kits and basic elements to affected homes.

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Additionally, with support from USAID, the World Food Program (WFP) has adjusted its operations to provide food assistance to approximately 45,000 people in Chocó, ensuring that food reaches those who need it most. In fiscal year 2024, it allocated $42 million in humanitarian assistance to support people affected by the internal conflict in Colombiawith ongoing interventions in areas such as emergency food assistance, specialized mental health and access to safe water.

The Colombian Government announced last Wednesday that it will allocate 1.7 billion pesos (just over 382 million dollars) for the “first aid” for the areas affected by the heavy rains of recent days and also to begin a recovery plan “relocations to high-risk areas for the population”. This was said by the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, before flying over the Chocó area (northwest), affected by the rains that have generated floods that, according to official data, have affected nearly 37,500 families (about 187,500 people) and more. of 4,300 homes.

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EFE.