LA PAZ, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Disasters, such as floods and landslides caused by El Nino, have killed 23 people in Bolivia in the last two months, Vice Civil Defense Minister Oscar Cabrera said Sunday.
More than 800 houses have been seriously affected across the country and 10,657 hectares of crops have been destroyed so far, Cabrera said, adding that among 9,700 affected families, more than 7,000 have received humanitarian aids.
El Nino refers to the anomalously warming of the surface water of the Pacific Ocean which can cause unusual global weather patterns and sometimes disastrous effects.
"Our main task is to prevent the loss of human lives. We focus on delivering food and tools and sending rescue teams when necessary," he said.
In addition, Cabrera asked the local authorities to keep the necessary preventive measures especially before the rising of the rivers' water and coordinate with the Civil Defense Ministry to guarantee water supply and deliver food, blankets, mats and tools.
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