At the end of 2013, floods affected the Chocó region in the west of Colombia. The floods washed away standing crops, damaged and destroyed housing and other buildings, and destroyed food stores. Heavy rains from tropical storms caused damage in five municipalities within the region.

 

According to the Disaster Risk Management Committee of Chocó, more than 2,000 households (12,000 individuals) were affected when the Atrato, Andagueda, Tumutumbudo and Capa rivers overflowed, causing floods in the communities around them. Those affected were primarily the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, which were very isolated, with access only by water, mainly canoe. ACT worked with communities associated with the Rural Leaders Community Council, COCOMOPOCA, comprising 543 families in 21 affected communities.

 

The ACT appeal helped people take measures to regain their food security, and members helped set up a locally organised emergency preparedness plan. The floods destroyed major parts of the maize, rice, corn, plantain and sugar cane crops, therefore the ACT forum in Colombia provided seeds for the crop recovery. While they put this project into action, the ACT team had to overcome and adapt to situations resulting from the isolation and security risks, working under the recommendations of the Security Operations Centre of the United Nations System.