Paraguay: More than 30 families are sheltering at a parish in Ciudad del Este, on Paraguay's border with Brazil, relying on donated food while their homes remain flooded following heavy rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
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The swelling Parana River has affected about 4,200 families across Paraguay's southeastern departments, according to the country's National Emergency Secretariat (SEN). A 58-year-old woman died last week after her home collapsed.
Dozens of families had pitched tents on a soccer field while others organized communal kitchens with support from the church and local businesses.
Water levels on the Paraná, South America's second-largest river after the Amazon and a key commercial waterway, have eased slightly since they peaked on October 15.
But authorities remain on alert. Up to 15,000 homes could be affected if the river rises again, according to local emergency agency. Officials have urged displaced residents not to return home following forecasts of further severe storms.
The Itaipu hydroelectric dam, which Paraguay and Brazil share on the river, has been forced to open its floodgates to regulate reservoir levels, releasing additional water into areas already affected by flooding.
UN officials warned this week that the El Niño weather pattern could drive a record increase in Pacific Ocean temperatures as it moves around the globe like a ‘wrecking ball ', triggering floods in some regions and droughts in others.
