Bolivia declares national emergency due to severe flooding

Bolivia is facing one of the worst floods in its history, killing more than 50 people and leaving more than 100,000 homeless. In response, President Luis Arce has officially declared a state of emergency throughout the country.

Floods submerged many houses, causing serious damage in Bolivia. (Source: Reuters)

On March 26, Bolivian President Luis Arce declared a national emergency after prolonged heavy rains caused severe flooding, affecting all nine administrative regions of the country.

One area has been declared a disaster zone, while three others are in a state of emergency.

“These natural disasters are forcing us to take urgent action to protect our people,” President Arce said at a press conference on March 26, adding that more than 370,000 households have been severely affected by the floods.

Bolivia typically has a rainy season that lasts from November to March every year, but the weather in 2025 seems to be more unusual.

According to Lucia Walper of Bolivia’s Senamhi meteorological agency, in 2025, the country had to issue orange and red warnings for the risk of rivers overflowing their banks. This is a rare occurrence as the situation has continued into March, and is now even forecast to continue into April.

The declaration of a state of emergency will allow the government to quickly deploy relief and purchase supplies. Thousands of troops have been deployed to the worst-hit areas to assist people.

Meanwhile, the Bolivian Congress is also expected to approve a $75 million loan from the Latin American and Caribbean Development Bank (CAF) to help overcome the consequences of floods and other natural disasters.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bolivia-ban-bo-tinh-trang-khan-cap-quoc-gia-do-lu-lut-nghiem-trong-308990.html