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Appeal
Colombia
Floods in Chocó, Colombia – COL131
Appeal Target: US$ 332,843
Balance Requested: US$ 0
Geneva, 13 May 2014
The west side of Colombia has been affected by severe floods due the heavy rains from tropical storms in the last weeks of November 2013, causing damages to the crops in five municipalities around Quibdó, the capital of department of Chocó. According to the Disaster Risk Management Committee of Chocó, more than 2,000 households (12,000 individuals) were affected when the Atrato, Andagueda, Tumutumbudo and Capa rivers overflowed, causing floods in the municipalities of Bagadó, Lloró, Atrato, Quibdó and Rio Quito.
These families are already facing poverty as they are small subsistence farmers who have lost parts of their two harvests in this year, as they experienced a similar situation in March 2013, when floods affected 56,770 people and damaged more than 500 homes. An important consideration has to be given to the fact that these are very far and isolated communities and that there are no local markets or access roads nearby, as Chocó is located in a very remote area in Colombia.
LWF, on behalf of Colombia ACT forum, is proposing to assist 21 communities affected to recover their food security and to set up an emergency preparedness plan based on local organization.
This Full Appeal replaces the Preliminary Appeal issued on 16 December 2013.
THE CRISIS
Floods have affected 2,000 families of Afro Colombians and Native communities in five rural municipalities in Chocó, department in the west of Colombia, increasing the communitarian vulnerability due to food shortage and lack of access to water and sanitation.
PRIORITY NEEDS
Affected families need to recover their food security through agricultural recovery and strengthening their local emergency preparedness system with strong communitarian networks among the Afro-Colombian and Native communities.
For the full appeal document, please click here.
