Heavy rain affects 22,000 Bolivian families

Bolivia: The latest heavy rain and following floods had affected 22,614 Bolivian families, the Government said Tuesday.

Civil Defense Minister Hernan Tuco said most of the affected families were in the provinces of Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Beni, La Paz, Tarija and Potosi in eastern Bolivia, where pouring rain caused river overflow.

The Civil Defense Ministry had been carrying continuous air patrols and checking water levels in rivers to prevent more disasters, the minister said.

Tuco said the government has aid plans to give humanitarian assistance through the Civil Defense, keep roads in good condition and rehabilitate agriculture and livestock. Rain increases in Bolivia in January and February due to El Nino, which creates havoc in weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, according to the Bolivian National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology.

La Paz, Xinhua