14 DAY TRIAL // The devastation that Brazil suffered with the latest floods and mudslides has caused billions of dollars in damages and claimed the lives of an estimated 100, with 19 still missing, authorities reported yesterday. As some people had nothing to eat or drink for 4 days or even more, looting is a spreading phenomenon throughout the Santa Catarina region, and the federal government has dispatched hundreds of state and federal police officers to the area, to bring the situation under control.
"Many haven't had food or water in four or more days. They're hungry. We desperately need those food baskets that were promised," Itajai fire department commander, Sergio Murillo de Mello, told Reuters.
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, visited the region in the aftermath of the disaster and authorized the allocation of 2 billion reais ($881 million) to the relief effort, saying that officials needed to turn up their efforts of recovering survivors, with thousands still trapped in flooded regions, which are currently inaccessible, due to the fact that all major arteries in the area have been washed away by bulging rivers.
More than 54,000 people were uprooted by the floods, and their condition is worsening by the minute. Uncoordinated relief efforts on the part of local authorities made food and drinkable water scarce, leaving thousands starving and thirsty. Several people were arrested for looting, after they broke in in several supermarkets, hoping to find something to eat.
In Santa Catarina's capital city of Florianopolis, more than 250 security forces arrived, including state police and National Security Force agents. Their mission is to make sure that what's left of the city is not ravaged by the inhabitants, and to keep things in order until governmental supplies come in.
The army already said it was working on setting up a field hospital in the region, as in many places the water is still as high as 8 meters (25 feet) above normal levels, and sewage has spilled into the streets. The number of snakes is also very large, so people need to be aware of bites, as most of them are barefooted. Da Silva announced his administration already sent 17 tonnes of medical supplies to the area, to last until other transports arrive.