Heavy rains starting February 14, 2025, have led to significant adverse effects on communities in Ecuador, causing housing damage and impacting health facilities. The government has declared a range of alerts and a 60-day state of emergency to facilitate responses and resource mobilization in the regions affected by the floods.
Beginning on February 14, 2025, heavy rainfall has adversely impacted the provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena, Santo Domingo, Los Ríos, and El Salvador, significantly affecting the local population, their livelihoods, and housing conditions. The ongoing rains have prompted concerns regarding the potential for landslides and other related hazards.
In response, the National Secretariat of Risk Management issued two critical resolutions. Resolution No. SNGR-046-2025 declared a RED ALERT in the provinces of El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, and Santa Elena, while an ORANGE ALERT was put in place for Azuay, Bolívar, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Loja, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. Additionally, a YELLOW ALERT was established across the remaining 12 provinces of Ecuador to mitigate potential impacts from the continuing rainfall.
On February 25, 2025, the National Secretariat of Risk Management further escalated the situation by declaring a state of regional emergency for a duration of 60 days. This declaration, under RESOLUTION No. SNGR-050-2025, was prompted by the recurrence and intensity of the climate events that have severely affected housing, basic services, and health infrastructure across the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Santa Elena, Loja, and Azuay.
The floods have inflicted considerable damage on health facilities in the affected provinces, particularly in Esmeraldas, Los Ríos, Guayas, and El Oro, compromising their operational capabilities. The mobilization of funds and additional personnel has become essential to address this ongoing crisis and restore vital services.
The floods resulting from recent heavy rainfall in Ecuador have caused widespread disruption, prompting the government to declare various alerts and a state of emergency. The resolutions issued by the National Secretariat of Risk Management aim to protect citizens and mobilize necessary resources to respond effectively to the crisis, particularly in the face of compromised health infrastructure.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
