Bocas del Toro floods leave 1,300 homes affected, over 4,000 displaced

More than 4,000 people have been displaced and 1,300 homes affected by recent heavy rains in Panama's Bocas del Toro province. Preliminary assessments from the National Emergency Operations Center (COE) indicate that the districts of Changuinola and Almirante are the most impacted, with families including the elderly, children, and people with disabilities affected by the floods.

Government officials have pledged to address the long-standing issue of housing for communities situated in vulnerable, flood-prone areas. Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo stated that population growth and changes to stream channels have exacerbated the risks for residents in these sectors.

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Each time, as we increase the population of a community, the issue of flooding, the impacts, and the diversion of stream channels bring these kinds of situations and put them in danger.

"Each time, as we increase the population of a community, the issue of flooding, the impacts, and the diversion of stream channels bring these kinds of situations and put them in danger," Montalvo said. President Laurentino Cortizo has committed to providing housing solutions for these families, viewing it as a significant investment in the province's future. Authorities continue to assess the damage and coordinate aid for those affected.

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These are decisions the president has made to give them an opportunity to have their own land, to have their own housing, and it is an investment within the province of Bocas del Toro that we will have in the coming months.