Flooding Ravages Bolivian Amazon

Streets are flooded amid heavy rains in Pando, a department located in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest. The ongoing rainy season, which began in December and is expected to continue until March, has been exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon, causing rivers to overflow.

The rainy season in Bolivia, which began in December and will last until March, has so far left 40 people dead and nearly 10,000 families affected, the government reported.

"We have 206 homes affected, 456 homes completely destroyed and 40 people have already died," Deputy Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, told reporters.

The authority, mainly responsible for relief efforts throughout the country, also pointed out that "there are 80 affected municipalities," of the 340 that Bolivia has.

The rainy season starts in December and lasts until March and April. The El Niño phenomenon causes torrential downpours and the consequent overflowing of rivers.

Calvimontes stated that the most affected areas are neighborhoods south of the city of La Paz, seat of the Executive and Legislative powers, and the city of Cobija, in the north of the country bordering Brazil.

Images of flooded neighborhoods in this city of about 90,000 inhabitants circulated on social networks. The water level covers the first level of the houses according to the videos shared by the inhabitants themselves.

The Pando governorate separately stated that the level of the tributary rose up to 15 meters.

In the town of Guanay, north of La Paz with 13,700 inhabitants, the rivers that border the populated area have overflowed and covered everything in their path with mud.

Before December, Bolivia was hit by a drought and now, according to the Meteorological Service, there is an alert for river overflows and extreme rains until March.