Urrá Dam Exacerbates Sin River Flooding - Help Needed in Colombia

Please Support Victims of Sinú River Flooding

'Save The Ribble' has received this urgent call from Friends of the Earth Colombia (CENSAT Agua Viva), it has many chilling echoes of the situation in Britain, where residents of Hull and Doncaster still face official inaction weeks after catastrophic flooding to their homes:

After intense rain showers more than 20,000 people living on the banks of the Sin River in San Pelayo, Cereté Lorica in Montería, Colombia were forced to find temporary shelter or be relocated to higher land. Their lands and homes are now under water from the June 29 inundations, which over-ran the Urrá Dam on the Sin River. Pets and livestock were lost, as reported by ASPROCIG the Producers' Association of the Greater Sin Region.

Sinú residents face poverty after flooding exacerbated by the Urrá dam

The same source confirmed that 600 of the 20,000 affected people are part of the social resistance process to the Urrá Dam. These are the communities who noticed the effects of the dam on fisheries and promoted agroecology and forestry initiatives in response the the threats. These initiatives are today under water.

In addition to the initial impacts of the Urrá Dam's construction on the communities and their territories, the government has been slow in responding to the flooding that is being experienced in Córdoba. The flooding was exacerbated by the presence of the dam, and there is a danger that government negligence could increase the humanitarian crisis and frame the perfect argument in favour of Urrá II, a "megadisaster" that would exacerbate the agony of the Sinú residents after the Urrá.

We need your help to support the victims in Córdoba. CENSAT Agua Viva is collecting non-perishable food, clothing, and medicine. CENSAT Agua Viva is also collecting financial support for the victims.

Please make a donation to the relief effort.


Censat-Agua Viva


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