The last month has seen severe rains and flooding in the regions of Pernambuco and Alagoas in Brazil.

WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION

At last count, thirty-nine people had died and more than a thousand are missing. Over 400,000 people are homeless after the worst damage was done in June. In some cases, this damage has destroyed newer buildings that were erected after similar damage was inflicted in the summer of 2009. There were few warnings this type of rainfall would be repeated this year as it is not an annual pattern and villagers were ill-prepared.

SOS Children’s Villages has managed to relocate their Village families and staff and are grateful that no one is hurt. However, there was extensive damage to the sites and families are no longer able to gather together to learn or take part in SOS programs.

Thousands of others have had to be evacuated from their cities and SOS is struggling to meet the immediate need for support.

SOS is currently working with local authorities to provide support, they have offered temporary shelter at their João Pessoa and Igarassu locations, but this is not enough and the rebuilding process is being slowed by continued inclement weather.