Bolivia declares emergency after floods kill over 50

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LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivian President Luis Arce declared a national emergency on Wednesday after torrential rains and severe floods left more than 50 dead and displaced more than 100,000 across the country.

All nine of Bolivia’s departmental regions have been affected by the heavy rains, with one being designated in a state of disaster and three others in a state of emergency.

“These natural disasters are forcing us to declare a national emergency,” Arce said during a press conference, adding that over 370,000 families have been affected by rains. Bolivia, with a population of over 12 million, typically has its rainy season from November to March.

Lucia Walper, from Bolivia’s Senamhi meteorological service, said several orange and red alerts for river overflows, that are typically issued in February, have been issued in March this year and extended until April.

The state of emergency will allow the government to purchase supplies and facilitate the deployment of resources. Thousands of soldiers have been deployed around the country to help distribute aid to heavily impacted areas.

Congress is also expected to approve a $75 million loan from the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean to help deal with fallout from natural disasters, including floods.

(Reporting by Monica Machiaco in La Paz; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Sandra Maler)