The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is providing humanitarian assistance for more than 1,000 families driven from their homes by severe flooding in the provinces of Madre de Dios, and Manuripi, Bolivia.

Record rains in Bolivia during January and February have caused excessive flooding in both the highlands and the Amazon Basin, destroying crops and livestock, and forcing families from their homes. More than 33,000 families have been affected by this disaster, and thousands are still in desperate need of food, medicine, and other emergency relief items.

An estimated 6,500 residents in the municipalities of Gonzalo Moreno, San Lorenzo, Sena, and Puerto Rico, will receive food rations that will last for the duration of the project. Each food package includes more than 28 pounds of wheat flour, eight pounds of peas, six pounds of lentils, and four cups of oil. Each family will also receive one 2 gallon water drum, chlorine for water purification, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits, each consisting of a toothbrush, soap, a towel, and a comb. Blankets and other provisions are also being distributed. In addition, the towns of Gonzalo Moreno and San Lorenzo will also receive water tanks that will provide clean drinking water for destitute families in the region.

In response to the rising health risks, medical personnel will also distribute oral re-hydration salts, anti-malaria medication, anti-diarrheic medication, anti-parasite medication, antibiotics, and dermatological medication.

The project is valued at $83,424, and is funded by the ADRA office in Bolivia, the ADRA South American Regional office located in Brasilia, Brazil, and ADRA International, in partnership with the United Stages Agency for International Development (USAID), the French Embassy in Bolivia, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Bolivian civil defense, and the local municipalities. It will run for two months. This intervention is being planned in the Department of Pando.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity.