Ecuador Faces Flooding Crisis: Emergency Declarations and Response Strategies

Recent heavy rainfall since February 14, 2025, has severely impacted several Ecuadorian provinces, leading to health infrastructure damage and prompting emergency declarations from the National Secretariat of Risk Management. A RED ALERT was issued for the most affected provinces, while a state of regional emergency was declared to mobilize resources and personnel for assistance.

As of February 14, 2025, several provinces in Ecuador, including Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo, Los Ríos, and El Salvador, have experienced severe rainfall leading to detrimental effects on the population, housing, and livelihoods.

In response to these conditions, the National Secretariat of Risk Management issued Resolution No. SNGR-046-2025, declaring a RED ALERT for El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, and Santa Elena due to heightened risks of landslides. Meanwhile, an ORANGE ALERT was put in place for Azuay, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Loja, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, with a YELLOW ALERT established across the remaining provinces to anticipate any adverse effects from the rainfall.

On February 25, 2025, the National Secretariat declared a state of regional emergency lasting 60 days through RESOLUTION No. SNGR-050-2025. This decision was made in light of the ongoing climate events substantially affecting personal well-being, housing, essential services, and infrastructure. This emergency declaration is poised to facilitate the allocation of funds and the deployment of additional personnel to the severely impacted provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Santa Elena, Loja, and Azuay.

Furthermore, the extensive flooding has notably damaged the health infrastructure across the provinces of Esmeraldas, Los Ríos, Guayas, and El Oro, severely compromising the operational capabilities of these health facilities.

In conclusion, the severe rainfall in Ecuador has led to widespread flooding, prompting various alerts and a state of regional emergency. The declarations aim to mobilize resources to mitigate the risks of landslides and address the damages inflicted on health infrastructure and essential services in affected provinces. Continuous monitoring and preparedness measures are crucial in response to the ongoing climate events.

Original Source: reliefweb.int