Bolivia Declares Nationwide State of Emergency Over El Niño: Drought Hits 78,000 Families
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on November 1 signed a decree declaring a nationwide state of emergency to free up resources to deal with the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon. The decree also called for further deployments of rescue teams to the areas of the country hardest hit by flooding and drought.
Paz said El Niño will have "very severe impacts in terms of drought and floods," adding that Bolivia needs "the cooperation of all institutions." Declaring a state of emergency, he said, will allow authorities to deploy resources more quickly where they are needed.
According to a government report issued this week, drought is now affecting 78,000 families in six of Bolivia's nine departments and has led to the loss of more than 75,000 cattle. At the same time, heavy rains are threatening floods in other regions, leaving the country facing too much water and too little water at once.
El Niño is due to peak at the end of 2026, but its impacts could continue well into 2027. The government said declaring the emergency at the national level is intended to coordinate funds and logistics across the country, prioritizing the most vulnerable communities exposed to the twin threats.
(Source: Government of Bolivia)
Source: Government of Bolivia
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: La Paz 玻利维亚政府宫 Palacio Quemado，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0
