Colombia has had more than its fair share of rain this year. This has also been a region-wide issue with Colombia’s neighbors to the north in Central America (Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala) and southern Mexico, also being it by over 10 days of heavy rain in October. This led to widespread flooding and mudslides. One of the major effects was that much of the year-end harvest and seedlings for next year’s planting were destroyed.
A Lutheran World Federation (LWF) blog posts about Colombia gives an update on how the initial emergency relief work has finished up there. The response was made more difficult because of the armed conflict that has been ongoing for 20 years between guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army in the Choco district of the country. This means that for many in the region it is not safe to venture far from their village. This in a district that is home to some of the hardest hit and poorest people in the country.
To help meet the need the LWF was part of an immediate relief effort to deliver 200 food kits to the hardest hit families in the region. They also helped distribute seeds for subsistence crops to help restore food security. This is particularly important for the indigenous populations subsist off of exchanging food.
You can find the full post here: Food, seeds and hope in the ACT Colombia flood response
Also, check out the ACT Alliance overpage Colombia: Conflicts and Floods to see pictures and a video of situation.
To learn more about the ELCA response in Central America see the ELCA Disaster webpage Central America Flooding.
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