With support from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, representatives of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) arrived in southern Bahia this Friday, December 10, to assess the damage caused by the flood that took hold of at least 24 municipalities in the region, as well as initiate the first emergency response measures. 

Since Tuesday, December 7, torrential rains and the collapse of a dam in the interior of Minas Gerais have contributed to widespread problems in southern Bahia. An extratropical cyclone that occurred on December 9 increased the consequences of the bad weather, leading the State Government to declare a state of public calamity in the territory.

Leonardo Mendes, ADRA's regional director for the State of Bahia, announced that the first measure will be the distribution of drinking water to residents, in a joint decision with the city of Jucuruçu, one of the most affected municipalities, due to the overflow of the Gado rivers, which left families homeless.

Immediate Support

As a result of this first action, ADRA will allocate R$50,000 (approx. US$9,000) for the donation of drinking water. Meanwhile, ADRA International is mobilizing resources that will be used in the response based on the diagnosis and more immediate needs of families affected by the disaster. 

A campaign will mobilize interested donors to help families in cities such as Medeiros Neto, Guaratinga, Itamarajú, Jucuruçú, Vereda, Prado, Teixeira de Freitas, and Eunápolis. Together, these cities have a population of approximately 430,000.