[ENS] Archbishop Francisco de Assis da Silva of the Episcopal Anglican Church in Brazil recently visited communities in the state of Rondonia, which along with the neighboring state of Acre, have been hit the hardest by some of the worst flooding in over half a century. The Brazilian government has implemented a state of emergency in these areas and begun responding to the needs of those affected, but Archbishop Francisco reported that many communities are still isolated and practically without resources these weeks after the flooding.

Water is nothing new to this region of the country. Not only do rivers provide many with work and sustenance, but they also form part of the major infrastructure in connecting communities to one another. The Madeira river, a tributary of the Amazon and a major part of life in the Rondonia capital city of Porto Velho, rose to 17m (55 ft) above its normal level. Even for an area that is technically listed as having a monsoon climate with a 10-month rainy season, water movement on such a scale as this has already left thousands displaced and homeless. Food, medical supplies, and potable water remain urgently needed in numerous communities. Riverside communities have been severely affected, with major roads and highways in and out of Porto Velho also damaged.

The archbishop recently released a communiqué sharing the difficult scenes which he encountered on his trip: “Nearly 20,000 people homeless, boats sunken, houses below the water, an incalculable number of lost items, and a feeling of impotence of the authorities. The fishing areas were the most affected, where people lost everything they had without time to rescue any items due to the rate at which the water rose.  I met families living in the middle of the forest, living in deplorable conditions, stuck living in improvised canvas tents without dignified sanitary conditions, many of them just with the clothes on their backs.”

The Brazilian government’s branch that responds to natural disasters, the Civil Defense, has been on the ground in affected areas, but aside from difficulties in navigating flooded areas, responses are not always what they could be. Archbishop Francisco expressed disbelief and frustration upon learning that families were only given a meager 5 liters of potable water for a 15-day period.

The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil has already received $5,000 from Episcopal Relief and Development for flood response, which the primate personally delivered to families in affected areas.

For more information on the flooding in Brazil, please see previous articles:

Primate: Hydroelectric projects to blame for Brazil flooding

Archbishop Francisco appeals for support