Flood displaces over 100,000 in South America
The governments of Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina have had to evacuate over a 100,000 people from flood affected areas in recent days/
Paraguay has been the worst hit with about 90,000 people evacuated from their homes due to severe flooding in the wake of heavy summer rains.
The rains were brought about on by El Niño, authorities said on Saturday.
Many of those affected are poor families living in precarious housing along the banks of the River Paraguay.
Local media reports that many have been killed by trees falling in the storms that caused the flooding although official death toll is yet to be released.
The Paraguayan government has declared a state of emergency in Ascuncion and seven other regions of the country.
“(The flooding) was directly influenced by the El Niño phenomenon which has intensified the frequency and intensity of rains,” the national Emergencies Office said.
This year’s “El Nino,” which sparks global climate extremes, is the worst in more than 15 years, the U.N. weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said last month.
About 20,000 have fled their homes in northern Argentina while more than 9,000 have aboandoned theirs in Uruguay. Brazilian officials say 1,795 people’s homes have been taken by the flood..
