Torrential rains cause serious issues in Colombia

People across Colombia have been affected by horrendous flooding (Photo: ABColombia)

Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities have gone to the government to appeal for this basic human rights to be upheld as flooding has caused serious issues for farmland

Torrential rains have caused 3,860 sq. km. of farmland to be flooded and Colombia has experienced some of the worst flooding on record due to abnormal rains in the past two years. Meteorologists suggest that last year's rainy season was seven times heavier than the average.

23 of Colombia's 32 departments have been affected by the flooding in the past two years, the Economist has suggested that 4 million people have been caught up in this horrendous flooding. Farmland and houses have been flooded, leaving millions homeless.

The Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities on the banks of the Bajo Atrato River in Chocó believe that some of the issues caused by flooding could be countered by dredging the river, preventing the Rio Atrato from bursting its banks and having a catastrophic impact on their land.

Over 150,000 people are currently being affected by the build up of sediment blocking the mouths of the rivers with any decisive action yet to occur to resolve the problem. In February 2009 in Quibdó the Colombian government made an agreement to dredge the rivers that were blocked in order to help combat the flooding.

In 2011, action had still not been carried out. 2,300 citizens of the municipality of Rio Sucio took out a citizens legal action (tutela) against the Colombian State. They won this action, however, no work has been carried out.

On 29 January 2012 twelve chronically undernourished indigenous children were taken to Rio Sucio for emergency medical attention further compounding the serious issues the flooding has created.

This situation has created a humanitarian emergency. Representatives of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities have taken their case to Bogota, with support from the church, to seek help from the national government of Colombia. They have requested the following actions be taken:

The creation of a working group to respond to the emergency
To ensure that the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities of Bajo Atrato receive aid quickly
The rivers should be dredged as soon as possible

Many of these representatives are partners of ABColombia* members and have vowed to stay in Bogota until all the of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities requests have been met successfully.
*UK based advocacy platform of British and Irish NGOs working in Colombia, or which SCIAF is an active member

SCIAF

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

Torrential rains cause serious issues in Colombia