Potosí climate disasters trigger humanitarian aid and tourist rescue

Bolivian authorities have launched significant humanitarian relief efforts in the department of Potosí following severe weather events, including snowfalls, frosts, droughts, and hailstorms. The Civil Defense Vice-Ministry distributed over 91 tons of food, such as rice, noodles, and sugar, to 3,301 families across 10 municipalities. The aid package, valued at more than 1.18 million Bolivianos, targeted areas like Uyuni, where 430 families were affected by snow, and San Pablo de Lípez, which faced drought.

In a related development during the extreme weather, the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia expressed gratitude to the Bolivian Police for rescuing three American tourists stranded near Uyuni. The tourists were immobilized by a vehicle breakdown during an intense snowstorm. Seventeen police officers conducted a rescue operation through the storm to assist the group, who had sought temporary shelter in a local observatory.