Intense rainy season in Colombia leaves 271 dead in the last year

At least 271 people died in Colombia since November 2021 due to the rainy season, the most intense in the last four decades and which could last until March, according to an official balance released this Thursday.

Rainfall has worsened in recent weeks and has already left 745,000 affected in the latest yearsaid the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (Ungrd).

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The rainy They are associated with the cyclical phenomenon of La Niña, which causes the cooling of the Pacific Ocean. However, the climate crisis could make it more frequent and lethal, according to scientists.

In addition to the fatalities, in the same period 348 people have been injured, 6,755 homes destroyed, as well as hundreds of roads, bridges and sewers.

The season winter will last until December, but there are “probabilities of more than 58%” that it will be extended to February and March, warned the director of the Ungrd, Javier Pava, at a press conference.

The government of President Gustavo Petro declared a state of “national disaster” earlier this month to free up resources to deal with the emergency.

Within the framework of the measure, it will provide subsidies to mothers who are heads of households and hopes to guarantee food to the most affected families.

The rainy They have also ruined crops, which could further increase food prices, authorities have warned.

Colombia it is facing the highest inflation in two decades (11.4% annually) and an unprecedented devaluation of its currency against the dollar.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.