Colombia rains kill 46 in 2 months

Colombia’s rainy season has killed 46 people in less than two months, a report from Colombia’s risk management agency revealed Tuesday.

The report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) also found that ten people were missing and 113,602 people have been made homeless.

The rainy season began in mid-March and has since adversely affected 28 of Colombia’s 32 departments.

Two weeks ago, President Juan Manuel Santos enacted the Disaster Risk Management Law with the purpose of empowering the state to respond to and prevent such tragedies, but the law has had little effect on the current rainy season.

The report from the President’s office indicated that 483 homes have been destroyed while another 18,096 have been damaged. State infrastructure has also been effected with 381 roads and 79 aqueducts damaged.

The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies expects the current rainy season will last until mid-June.

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