Months of heavy rains in Colombia have caused widespread flooding, affecting nearly 1 million people and destroying thousands of hectares of crops, according to government figures.
The U.N. Children's Fund, which has launched a
$1.7 million appeal, says there is a constant threat of flash floods and landslides.
The rainy season, one of the most disastrous in recent times, has left more than 60 dead and scores injured.
The extreme rainfall has recently got worse and officials say one of the worst affected regions, Choco, is on the verge of a food crisis.
The western province of Choco has been badly affected by Colombia's long running civil strife. Conflict has already limited people's access to food and transport, and many communities have to cope with armed groups who murder, recruit children and occupy villages.
The Agriculture Ministry of Choco says almost 90 percent of crops in the region have been wiped out by the floods. They include basic food stuffs such as yucca plant, maize and bananas, according to the independent Radio Caracol.
"The area is on the brink of a food and economic crisis, because the crops as well as the economy have been affected," Mauricio Lopez, director of the disaster prevention office in Choco, told Radio Caracol.
"The town authorities have used up everything they had budgeted for disaster prevention ... but this has proved insufficient," he said.
More than 94 percent of Choco's indigenous population was suffering from severe food insecurity before the floods began, according to a study by three U.N. agencies (the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and U.N. Development Programme). The presence of armed groups makes it much harder for national and local authorities to operate in the region.
Other areas badly affected by the floods are La Mojana and the northern province of Magdalena where the army is distributing humanitarian aid and offering basic health care. Local authorities say they are particularly worried about the risk of disease outbreaks once the floodwaters subside.
UNICEF said its appeal would cover water, sanitation, health, nutrition and education needs throughout the affected areas.
"Children and pregnant women require urgent life-saving assistance and psychosocial support is required to help children overcome the emotional impact of the emergency," UNICEF added.
The government has promised new funds for repairing dams and rebuilding walls to try to avoid further flooding in the region.
Click for a map showing the worst affected areas.
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