Editor: Li Booker works tirelessly on behalf of those in need. Now at this season of giving, it is Colombians, her native countrymen who desperately need help. Torrential rains and mudslides in Colombia have killed an estimated 200 people. Levees along the Magdalena River have given way. Small towns near its banks are inundated. More than 90,000 victims have fled. The lucky ones crowded in with relatives in Barranquilla’s poor neighborhoods.
Throughout the country the story is the same. In northeast Colombia, a massive mudslide threatened most of the town. The entire population was forced to evacuate.
This is a disaster on the scale of Katrina. Yet the media here have ignored it. Personal phone calls and graphic photos in emails alerted Li Booker and me to this natural disaster. Colombia is America’s best friend in an adversarial region, yet we look away when they need assistance.
On its own, The Red Cross of Colombia lacks the resources to help an estimated 2 million left homeless. International aid agencies have not yet responded to the crisis.
Li agreed to let me write on her behalf concerning this disaster. We are in touch with representatives of Barranquilla’s archdiocese. Their efforts to reach out to flood victims are stymied by insufficient funds. Any help we can give them would be most appreciated. For further information, contact Li Booker at 938.9461.
June England
Sonoma
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