Chile university students clear flood‑water from low‑income neighborhoods

Severe rainstorms swept parts of the Metropolitan Region of Chile, turning streets in low‑income districts such as Lo Espejo, La Cisterna, Cerro Navia and Puente Alto into rivers of mud. More than a hundred volunteers from the Federation of Students of the University of Chile (FECh) organized rapid clean‑up operations, removing debris, distributing sandbags and restoring access for pedestrians and vehicles. FECh president Laura Mlynarz said students “must fulfill the role of making ourselves available to the needs of the people of Chile.” The mayor of Lo Espejo, Javiera Reyes, thanked the volunteers for their assistance.

The response was framed as part of a broader pattern of school‑community resilience highlighted by educators, who argue that schools and students play a strategic role in disaster response and in protecting the mental‑health and well‑being of children during emergencies.