Roraima Floods Cut Off Indigenous Municipality and Trigger Multiple Emergencies

Overview

• The bridge over the Rio Cambaru collapsed on Saturday, May 30, leaving the municipality of Uiramutã — about 15,500 people — completely cut off from road access.
• Five municipalities have declared emergency: Uiramutã, Bonfim, Normandia, Mucajaí and Rorainópolis, which frees authorities to speed purchases, requisition private property and mobilize response teams.
• State and federal responders including the Defesa Civil, Corpo de Bombeiros, technicians from the national civil defense and the Army’s 1ª Brigada de Infantaria de Selva are on site using boats and air assets to assess damage and deliver potable water, food and filters.
• The floods have shut roughly 70 schools in Normandia affecting about 3,500 children, left many indigenous communities with muddy water unfit to drink, and destroyed subsistence crops and pastureland, forcing evacuations and disrupting transport of goods.
• Officials say heavy rains are likely to continue in June and July, the federal government is preparing emergency recognition and funding, and authorities are monitoring multiple critical road and bridge points that could expand the humanitarian needs.