Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Uruguay

China offers emergency aid to flood-hit Uruguay

May 16, 2007 (Xinhua via COMTEX) --Wang Xiaoyuan, Chinese ambassador to Uruguay, delivered the money to the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Belela Herrera, the Chinese embassy said.

The money will supply the basic, immediate needs of the floods victims, and help reconstruction in the disaster area.

Seven of Uruguay's 19 provinces were hit by the worst flooding in 50 years last week.

Some 12,000 people who were displaced by the floods have now returned home. The situation in the affected regions is becoming stable with the water level of the flooded rivers receding, the Uruguayan government said.

Nearly 9,200 people are still homeless as of Tuesday, latest figure released by emergency authorities showed. Most are still stranded in the provinces of Durazno, Treinta y Tres and Soriano.

International organizations including the United Nations and the Inter American Development Bank and countries such as Japan, Argentina and the United States have provided or promised aid to Uruguay.

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez declared a national disaster last week and the government has planned to allocate 45 million U.S. dollars as emergency aid.