The south of Brazil is experiencing the worst climate tragedy in its history. Floods that hit the region at the beginning of May directly affected 2 million residents. In the city of Porto Alegre, 15,000 people have found refuge in temporary reception centers. Our correspondent went to Centro Vida, one of the city’s largest shelters, which accommodates nearly 600 people.
2 mins
With our special correspondent in Porto Alegre, Sarah Cozzolino
To protect themselves from the cold and from prying eyes, families are separated by wooden pallets covered with fabric. Cintia, her husband and their eight children squeeze onto three mattresses.
“ Everything you see here, she says, these are gifts. We came with the clothes we had on our bodies, documents and cell phones in our hands. The rest stayed there, underwater. »
Her neighborhood was often flooded, as was Ysela’s. This Haitian woman lived in a wooden house, it was completely covered by water.
I had already lost everything last year. I had bought everything back, and now I have lost everything again. I’m used to it now.
She is four months pregnant, but prefers not to think too much about the future, so she keeps her mind busy by braiding those of others. “ Every day, I braid those who want. Here, I don’t charge because everyone is in the same situation. So, I do this for free. »
It’s around ten degrees in this huge warehouse, and Ysela’s feet are cold in her flip-flops. No structure was prepared for the scale of this tragedy, admits Eduardo Alves, head of the center.
“ We first had to get out of this situation and ensure conditions for survival. Now, we will seek to improve to move towards the ideal, he explains. They deserve a certain quality, because we don’t know how long we’re going to be in this situation. »
Two weeks after the center opened, he was concerned about the decrease in the number of volunteers.
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