World Vision responds to massive flooding in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, January 14, 2011—With more than 500 people confirmed dead from massive flooding north of Rio de Janeiro, a World Vision relief team is en route and will establish a Child-Friendly Space to provide a safe place for 100 affected children to recover.

“This disaster has disproportionately affected the poor, who live on the hillsides and outskirts of town and are much more vulnerable to flooding and landslides," said Mauricio Cunha, World Vision's program director in Brazil. “By setting up a Child-Friendly Space we’re able to give kids an opportunity to regain a sense of normalcy and experience healing from any trauma and loss.”

World Vision has been serving in Brazil for 35 years and has projects in 13 Brazilian states. The organization’s Child Health Now campaign focuses on stemming the tide of preventable deaths of children under 5 in Brazil, and Cunha stressed the importance of food, clean water and shelter to ensure a secondary crisis doesn’t occur.

“People are never more vulnerable than immediately after a disaster,” he said. “It’s imperative to get these families into a stable environment as soon as possible. If they don’t have food, clean water and shelter they are at high risk of waterborne illnesses and other serious health conditions.”

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve the world’s poor – regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit, www.worldvision.org/press