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Iran said it is ready to help flood victims in Bolivia

Iran Materials 3 March 2011 12:45 (UTC +04:00)
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ali Akbar Salehi in a meeting with Bolivian President of the Chamber of Deputies Hector Arce voiced sorrow over floods in the Latin American country and said Iran is ready to aid Bolivians
Iran said it is ready to help flood victims in Bolivia

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ali Akbar Salehi in a meeting with Bolivian President of the Chamber of Deputies Hector Arce voiced sorrow over floods in the Latin American country and said Iran is ready to aid Bolivians, ISNA reported.

He highlighted Iran's scientific and industrial, economic and sanitation capabilities and said the country is able to transfer the know-how to Bolivia.

Hector Arce on his part stressed expansion on mutual ties in all fields.

Widespread flooding in Bolivia prompted the government to declare a national emergency last week.

Landlocked Bolivia, which runs from the rugged Andes to the Amazon jungle, faces a variety of climate change-related pressures, from disappearing glaciers to worsening droughts and more intense and unpredictable rainfall.

Combined with rising urban demand for water, the problems suggest a long-term water crisis ahead for the country.

The latest disaster has killed at least 50 people and left thousands homeless in Bolivia after weeks of heavy rain triggered flooding and mudslides, with 400 houses destroyed in the capital La Paz alone in a mudslide.

In Cochabamba, southeast of La Paz, schools and stadiums were sheltering hundreds of families whose homes were destroyed.

In lowland Santa Cruz department, Bolivia's major grain growing region, floods damaged soy, corn and wheat crops. Rivers burst their banks and major roads were unusable.

The government has allocated $20 million to help survivors.

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