The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, with more than 80% of its territory devastated by the worst flooding in the region’s history, will build four large temporary cities as an emergency to accommodate some 80,000 people displaced by the tragedy. This was announced on Thursday, May 16, by the deputy governor of the state, Gabriel Souza.
“We don’t have much time to install (temporary structures).” Next week we will start hiring (the companies responsible for erecting the structures) and by tomorrow, Friday, we will have a detailed description of the temporary structures that will be required. It is faster to hire a service to assemble these structures. It’s as if these were structures for large events, but with the necessary conditions to accommodate people,” says the lieutenant governor.
He said giant temporary cities would be created in the four cities most affected by the floods: the capital Porto Alegre and the neighboring cities of Canoas, El Dorado do Sul and Guaiba. In total, more than 600 thousand people were affected by the severe floods, but many of them are in other regions of the state, have left Rio Grande do Sul or have been received by family and friends, and in Greater Porto Alegre there are currently only about 80 thousand people are in makeshift shelters in schools, businesses, churches and other places without any facilities to house this crowd for a longer period.
“These facilities, which will be built on existing large open areas such as the Canoas Olympic Center and the San Leopoldo Events Park, will have areas for children and pets, laundries and community kitchens, dormitories and bath houses, because we We can give these people a minimum of dignity at a time when they need this support,” the government representative detailed.
Until Thursday, heavy rains and the floods they caused had left 151 people dead and another 104 missing, according to the latest Civil Defense report. Across the state, entire towns are still completely or partially flooded, including most neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, and rescue teams are working hard to remove people from rooftops or distribute drinking water, food, clothing and medicine to the many thousands refused to leave. their homes for fear of robbery.
Author: Domingos Grilo Serrinha This correspondent in Brazil
Source: CM Jornal
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