Dear Friend, Since last week, tens of thousands of families have faced devastating flooding in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The floods have displaced more than 93,000 people and have taken 26 lives. People are scrounging for their few remaining belongings, and frantically searching for loved ones. Thankfully, the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB) and other Grassroots International partners in Brazil have leapt into action. And they’re asking for our solidarity. These floods are a tragedy. I should know. My family and I lived through a similar tragic flooding in Pernambuco state years ago. Many of our neighbors refused to leave their homes, moving furniture and small appliances to roofs and improvised boats. My mother knew that we would not be able to salvage much from the mud, so she fought tooth and nail to pack a few belongings before our home got flooded. It was greatly traumatic for us all, especially my mother. I know many of the affected families today will live with the same flashbacks we experienced. What’s more, this tragedy is manmade. In recent years, Brazil has continued building dams in order to expand the country’s hydropower despite their wreaking havoc on the environment and Indigenous communities. And when they burst — which is increasingly likely as climate change worsens — they leave behind devastation. In this case, following some of the heaviest rainfall in the history of Bahia, the overflowing of local rivers led to two dams bursting within 24 hours. Meanwhile, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has largely neglected this humanitarian crisis in Bahia, a state governed by the opposition party. Despite promises, so far no government aid has come. As is often the case in crises like these, the bulk of the support on the ground right now is coming from neighbors and local organizations. Neighbors helping neighbors was what made the safe passage of my family possible so we could reach our relatives. It is going to take a grassroots solution to see people through this — and to address the underlying causes of climate change and ecological disaster. |
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That’s where our partners come in. Our partner MAB is a national movement formed by 80,000 families who have been displaced or are threatened by displacement by hydropower dams. Despite scarce resources, MAB sent several organizers from other regions to help in this latest crisis. Other social movements like the Landless Workers Movement (MST) have also stepped up to help. But MAB, the MST, and other social movements in Bahia need our support. Grassroots has already sent $10,000 from our Emergency Response Fund (created thanks to you). They need additional funds to provide: - Meals, mattresses, and medical support to families;
- Personal hygiene and protection (masks and hand sanitizer);
- Tools and equipment for clean up; and
- Transportation to ensure families can get to shelters.
While some families have been able to return to their homes and start rebuilding, many others are unable to do so and must stay in improvised shelters with minimal facilities for personal hygiene and cooking. Knowing from personal experience, this will be an intensely traumatic time for them. Given the hardship these families are going through now and for months to come, I want to ask for your unwavering support: Will you join us in addressing this emergency? And will you join us in supporting movements like MAB and MST in their long-term work to transform ecologically destructive systems into sustainable, renewable, regenerative ones? In solidarity and gratitude, |
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Saulo Araujo
Director of Global Philanthropy, Grassroots International |
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