A statement issued Tuesday by a U.N. conference on disaster management fiercely criticized Colombia’s dealing with natural disasters. According to the statement, disaster prevention is “not a real priority” for Colombian authorities.
According to the World Reconstruction Conference statement, Colombia, apart from failing in preventing disasters, has shown a “lack of interest” in compensating losses caused by natural disasters that unequally affect already marginalized families.
“The losses caused by natural events are not a real priority for the government of Colombia,” the document said. “In big and small disasters, most the cost of the events are assumed by the poorest of families that often have to do without financial protection mechanisms,” the report added.
Colombia, struck by one of the worst rainy seasons in the history of the country, has been combating landslides and floods that have crippled large parts of the country since rains began in the beginning of last year. According to official figures, the rains have affected more than 2.8 million Colombians.
