BOLIVIA FLOODING SITREP 7: MARCH 6, 2007

UNCLAS LA PAZ 000621 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/AND LPETRONI SAN JOSE FOR USAID/OFDA TIMOTHY CALLAGHAN STATE PASS TO AID FOR DCHA/OFDA MILENA POPP, LAC/SA JEFF BAKKEN, DCHA/FFP BARRY BURNETT LIMA FOR DHS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AMED ASUP CASC EAGR ECON PREL BL SUBJECT: BOLIVIA FLOODING SITREP 7: MARCH 6, 2007 REF: LA PAZ 604 ¶1. (U) Large parts of the departments of the Beni and Santa Cruz remain affected by massive floods (reftel). Flood waters in Trinidad, the capital of the Beni, have begun to recede, but rivers throughout the department are rising and threatening new areas. In Pando, the department to the northwest, communities are increasingly threatened by swollen rivers; the department recorded its first death over the weekend, raising the floods' death toll to 43. - GOB authorities estimate that flooding has affected almost 76,000 families in eight out of nine departments. - Health reports indicate increasing cases of dengue fever and tetanus; the former has now spread to Pando. GOB authorities will continue mosquito fumigation campaigns and provide tetanus vaccinations in affected regions. ¶2. (U) Ambassador Goldberg and USAID Director Mike Yates traveled to Trinidad March 5 to visit flood victims and donate two additional plane loads of emergency supplies, including hygiene kits, water cans, and tents. U.S. assistance to date totals approximately USD 1.5 million, including USD 365,000 in medicines provided by the NGO AmeriCares. ¶3. (U) Representatives of the Beni ranchers' association told Econoff that floods had claimed an estimated one percent of the department's three million cattle; losses thus far total approximately USD 6 million. Ranchers expect the situation to worsen, as animals succumb to diseases that emerge as waters recede; many expect short- and medium-term damages to exceed those of 1982 floods that killed 400,000 cattle. Indeed, the Beni prefect told the Ambassador that he expected cattle mortality to reach one million head by the time waters recede and ranchers find new forage. ¶4. (U) Podemos Senator Roberto Yanez told Econoff that flooding had claimed nearly 400 of his 3,000 cattle, adding that he expected to lose a year's worth of production and would need two to three years to rebuild his herd. According to Yanez, the situation would be even worse for small producers constrained by futures contracts they could no longer fulfill, as many contracted cattle had perished. The senator and other ranchers painted a gloomy picture for the department's cattle industry, arguing that losses would only increase and that recovery would be slow. GOLDBERG