February 8, 2023, 4:00 AM
February 8, 2023, 4:00 AM
The house of Evaldín Paredes and his family has been flooded for a week, so he decided to take refuge in the field of the Rancho Chico community, six kilometers from Okinawa. The water level is about to exceed the cot and ruin the mattress that you have taken care of so much, because it is where your children sleep. He fears that with the humidity all his things will deteriorate and diseases will proliferate, mainly dengue due to the large number of mosquitoes in that place.
They, like the rest of the families that live in that community, have lost belongings and crops. They say they can’t find work in the middle of the flood either. “I am a bricklayer and with everything full of water you cannot find any work and the fields are full of water,” says Evaldín.
Ermelinda Ipane Valencia lives in that same community and also went out to ‘refuge’ on the pitch. He says that more than a dozen of his chickens have drowned. To this is added that his refrigerator was left in the middle of the water and no longer works.
The situation of Celia Pinto Hoyos is similar, as she and her two children became ill with fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.
“In my room everything is full, there is nowhere to cook for the boys. My things are in the middle of the water, my mattresses and bedspreads are wet. Neither the TV nor the refrigerator work because water has already entered them. The puppies are on the chair. There is not even a dry space, that is why I would like the authorities to help us because the water continues to rise, that is why we went out onto the pitch,” Celia said.
This Tuesday three families took refuge on the field, but others they remain in their places in the hope that the water level will begin to drop and they can start cleaning their places.
Children are the most exposed and many have already become ill with vomiting, diarrhea and fungus.
in small ranch close to fifty families have been affected, because the waters continue to rise.
According to the report from the Okinawa Mayor’s Office, there are nine flooded communities, including Junta Pailón, Nueva Esperanza, Puerto Pérez, Las Mercedes, Rancho Chico, Villa Reyes, Nueva Aurora and Los Ángeles.
With the help of Vice Ministry of Defense have mobilized machinery and have brought food. In addition, work is being done with two other machines that a company has made available in addition to those that the commune has.
The mayor of Okinawa, Rubén Darío Mercado, reported that they are working to rescue families whose homes are under water. “People don’t want to leave their community because they have their little animals and they prefer to stay and take care of them. For us it is complicated because the children get sick, ”he remarked.
The Government has also helped them with medicines and rescue brigades to rescue the victims.
Mayor trust that it stops raining so that the water goes down and help can be provided. He said that they are also looking for shelters in high areas, although many people are reluctant to leave their homes.
“We have some 500 families affected so far in the municipality and some 8,000 hectares of crops including soybeans, rice and cane,” he said.
So far there have been two deaths, 5,550 families affected and 75 houses destroyed in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Beni. It has taken more than 139 tons of humanitarian aid, reported the Vice Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes.
According to the report, the lifeless body of one of the victims was found in Guanay and the other in Yanacachi, both in La Paz.
The Ministry of Education reported that more than 30 educational units in the country suspended their educational work due to inclement weather.
According to the detail, there are 26 establishments in San Julián and two in Cuatro Cañadas, in the Santa Cruz department; two in Mapiri, two in Tipuani and one in Guanay, in La Paz, which are the areas most affected by the heavy rains.
“Some educational units were flooded and to guarantee the education of the students, it was determined that classes be held remotely. We hope that in the course of this week they will be able to return to the classrooms”, said the departmental head of Education, Edwin Huayllani.
President Luis Arce flew over the areas affected by the floods yesterday and delivered aid in the municipality of San Julián. The Minister of the Presidency, Maria Nela Prada accompanied the president and assured that the Government’s priority is to attend to the health of the population.
