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Flooding of the Paraguay River, caused by heavy rain, left approximately 1,800 families in a precarious situation having to flee their homes and relocate to 58 shelters in Asuncion, the country's capital.
On Thursday, the water level of the river had grown by 17 centimeters over last week, creating a very dangerous environment for the surrounding communities.
Due to the risk, the National Emergency Secretariat (SEN) proceeded to evacuate nearly 1,800 families, approximately 5,000 people. In the coming days, the river could reach 5.5 meters which would result in many more families being forced to evacuate.
“The growth [in river flow] exceeded expectations, and tomorrow, in Asuncion, we would be reaching a critical level, and with rainfall, the river becomes even more unstable,” Ricardo Pereira, Director of Early Warning Alert, explained.
In January, flooding of the Paraguay River forced 20,000 people into homelessness, mainly in the less affluent neighborhoods located along the river’s banks.
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