The intense rains of recent days have caused a serious crisis in the municipality of Riosucio, Chocó, where the Salaquí River has been blocked, affecting nearly 20 Afro and indigenous communities and isolating the farmers in the area.
Isolation and shortages
The risk authorities warned about the overflow and clogging of the Salaquí River, affecting nearly 20 riverside communities, leaving more than 2,000 families affected. Crops, the basis of the local economy, have been devastated, with losses exceeding 1,000 hectares of banana, corn, rice, cassava and other products.
“The floods also devastated farmyard species, such as chickens, ducks and pigs. This is affecting the livestock area of the Salaquí River basin,” said Jair García, Riosucio Risk coordinator.
The flooding and clogging of the Salaquí River have left affected communities cut off, making it difficult to access food, drinking water, and medical care. “They can’t get out because the waterway is blocked,” García lamented.
“One leaves the farm, but doing a crossing, because the river rose again,” said Jorge Andrade, a peasant leader in the area. “Even though they are working with heavy machinery, the river becomes clogged again if it is not carry out complete dredging to return it to its original width and depth. This causes economic losses and puts people’s safety at risk,” he added.
The urban area of the municipality is also affected by flooding, since the level of the river has exceeded its usual channel.
“There are completely flooded sectors and we have been forced to build temporary bridges on stilts to be able to move,” stated the Risk Management coordinator.
For their part, local authorities have requested the department and the national government for humanitarian aid for the affected families, as well as heavy machinery to mitigate the flood. Additionally, they demand the immediate completion of the construction of a bridge, a work that has been contracted for 7 years, but has not yet been completed.
“We also have overflowing of the Truandó and Cacarica rivers. Affects the road in the municipality of Riosucio, and where we require that they comply with the agreement regarding the construction of a bridge so that the population can move,” García concluded.
