GENEVA (March 25, 2008) – CARE is distributing farming tools, seeds and fencing materials to nearly 30,000 people in the Bolivian province of Chuquisaca in order to boost recovery from the severe floods that have swept the nation, killing 73 people and affecting nearly half a million others.
The central province of Chuquisaca has been particularly hard-hit, losing more than 60 percent of its agricultural production to the floods. More than 13,500 acres of corn crops have been destroyed (5,508 hectares), devastating the lives and livelihoods of the majority of the people in the province.
"People in Chuquisaca rely on subsistence farming to feed their families and earn a living, so it's critical to give them the tools they need to regain their ability to earn a living," says Chris Sykes, CARE's country director in Bolivia.
Roads in and out of the province were impassable, slowing much needed relief. Those roads have been repaired, clearing the way for essential supplies to make their way to families in some of the most isolated communities in Bolivia.
On Wednesday, March 26, CARE will travel to those communities to distribute tools such as pick-axes, hoes, spades, and wheelbarrows, as well as onion and carrot seeds and fencing materials so that families can begin planting again. The organization will reach nearly 6,000 people with this emergency assistance. In addition, another 1,095 people who have been identified as extremely poor will also receive a household kit comprised of blankets, a cooking pot, and kitchen utensils.
CARE also plans to assist flood survivors in the medium and long term, as emergency efforts shift to rehabilitation.
"Thanks to generous donations from the governments of Germany and the Netherlands, CARE's longer-term efforts will help to secure clean water sources, rebuild damaged infrastructure, provide farming assistance and help reduce the risk from flooding in the future," said Sykes.
For more information, please contact:
Bill Dowell, CARE International, Geneva, [email protected]
About CARE: Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience delivering emergency aid during times of crisis. Our emergency responses focus on the needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly girls and women. Women and girls are at the heart of CARE’s emergency relief efforts because our experience shows that their gains translate into benefits for families and communities.