In the aftermath of heavy rains in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has pledged to support the state with financial and technical resources.
The rains in Rio de Janeiro have already affected hundreds of people since Tuesday, when the storms intensified. The most affected cities are Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo and Petrópolis. Entire neighborhoods were cut off by landslide and damaged roads, hindering the work of rescuers.
In Teresópolis, the most affected city, shelters were set up to receive families but thousands of people remain homeless. On Wednesday, the city of Nova Friburgo lacked energy, telecommunications and transportation. Besides Petrópolis, the District of Itaipava was also hit, with water reaching two feet high inside many homes.
IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno expressed his sympathy for those affected by the rains and pledged the Bank´s support. "We are eager to provide every assistance possible within our reach. We will contact Governor Sergio Cabral to assess the situation, the needs and the possibilities for technical and financial support from the Bank," he said.
As an immediate gesture, the Bank will make a $200,000 emergency grant and will hold a dialogue with state authorities later to define the actions and resources that will be employed in the recovery of the affected cities.
The IDB resources come from an emergency support fund, and are provided to meet the urgent financial needs after a natural disaster of unusual proportions, until other actions are defined.