Bolivia declares a state of emergency to deal with El Nino

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Saturday declared a state of emergency to free up resources for dealing with the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, which is wreaking havoc around the world.

The decree also calls for deploying more rescue teams in hard-hit areas as Bolivia grapples with flooding and drought because of El Nino, Paz said in an address to the nation.

“This will be a phenomenon that will have very severe impacts in terms of drought and floods, and we need the cooperation of all institutions,” Paz said.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz speaks during a ceremony at the Government Palace in La Paz on Oct. 5.

Photo: AFP

The drought is affecting 78,000 families in six of the country’s nine departments and has led to the loss of more than 75,000 head of cattle, a government report last week showed.

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

The UN warned this week that the El Nino could have “unprecedented” strength that would bring havoc to Latin America, eastern and southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Among Bolivia’s neighbors, Peru has seen increased temperatures and wildfires, which have already claimed the lives of at least 12 people.

Chile has experienced the rainiest October ever recorded in Santiago, the capital.