President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated, this Saturday (28), that all losses caused by rain in municipalities in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais will be recovered. Lula is in the region and, in the afternoon, will meet with mayors Margarida Salomão, from Juiz de Fora; José Damato, from Ubá; and Maurício dos Reis, by Matias Barbosa.
The three cities are in public calamity situation. Two other municipalities – Divinésia and Senador Firmino – are in emergency.
“The mayors have to do a very serious job of surveying all the damage. The only thing that, unfortunately, we cannot recover is the lives of the people who died”, he said during a visit to one of the affected areas, in Ubá.
President Lula visits areas affected by the rains in the municipality of Ubá – Photo: Ricardo Stuckert / PR
“Whether it is material, that the city suffered losses, education, health, houses, we will guarantee that people will get them back”, added the president.
The number of deaths in floods and landslides in Minas Gerais rose to 66of which 60 in Juiz de Fora and six in Ubá, informed the Fire Department. Three people are still missing, two in Ubá and one in Juiz de Fora.
Until now, the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development approved resources worth R$11.3 million to help the three most affected cities. These resources are aimed at both humanitarian assistance and the reestablishment of essential services, through work plans presented by city halls.
Also in Ubá, the Minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combating Hunger, Wellington Dias, stated that government teams, including those from the Unified Social Assistance System (Suas), are throughout the region, also working in smaller municipalities to serve the population and assist in the preparation of plans.
“There will be no lack of support for any municipality in Minas Gerais, it is not a short time, here there is a phase, of humanitarian support, of rescue, of food, of shelter, but now we are already working on the projects too”, he said.
Dias confirmed that aid payments will be anticipated. such as the Continuous Payment Benefit (BPC) and Bolsa Família. Residents of the three cities facing public calamity – Juiz de Fora, Ubá and Matias Barbosa – can also request withdrawal from the Service Time Guarantee Fund (FGTS)limited to R$6,220.
From Ubá, the presidential delegation heads to Juiz de Fora, where the meeting with the mayors will be held.
