WCK expands flooding response in Brazil
World Central Kitchen has been on the ground in Porto Alegre for six days, helping families impacted by the severe flooding in southern Brazil. Our team, along with local partners, have served more than 16,000 meals, while also distributing drinking water and dry ingredients for cooking. Food needs remain urgent four weeks after heavy rains caused historic flooding in the region.
The city of Porto Alegre and many surrounding areas are still flooded and remain difficult to access. “Our scouting teams are being deployed with rescuers who know the area very well,” said Juan Camilo, WCK’s response lead who is on the ground in Brazil. These rescuers are from Mayday Brasil—a local nonprofit made of first responders who use their expertise to support communities in the aftermath of natural disasters.
WCK and Mayday Brasil team photo.
Already familiar with the conditions based on weeks of operations, Mayday Brasil immediately directed WCK teams to the hardest hit areas in need of ongoing support. “Every day, they meet with the WCK scouting team at their headquarters before departing to communities,” said Juan Camilo. “It gives an extra layer of safety for our team driving in still-affected areas that might encounter floods.”
Standing water continues to create logistical challenges. One day, as our team tried to find a safe place to cross a flooded road, a truck pulled up and the driver, Ricardo, offered help on the spot. Ricardo helped load the food and bottled water from our cars onto his truck and safely drove the meals and the team through flooded roads. Thanks to Ricardo, we reached families in Vila Celso—an area badly affected by the flooding and in need of food and drinking water.
In many communities, families are staying in their homes even if they are flooded. They have nowhere else to go and some worry their land will be stolen by developers if they leave. Our teams take meals as far as we can, in some cases to community support centers. From there, meals are distributed to families, with some people having to navigate neighborhoods on boats or kayaks to pick up the meals.
Many people have stayed in their homes in flooded areas.
Whenever possible, our teams directly reach isolated communities with meals that are both comforting and familiar. WCK visited the indigenous Pindo Poty community about five miles south of Porto Alegre with sandwiches in hand to assess needs. When we learned residents had no access to flour, a staple of their daily diet, our team returned with hundreds of pounds of the ingredient on our next trip.
Families in Pindo Poty use the flour to make reviro, a mixture of flour, oil, salt, and water. They usually prepare reviro every morning and eat it throughout the day. For breakfast, they eat reviro alongside sweet potatoes, and during the rest of the day, they have it with fish, meat, vegetables, or eggs. Our team was invited to share a breakfast of reviro with sweet potatoes after completing the delivery.
It is moments like this that show the power of food—that teams from around the world can come together to support people they have never met, and end up sharing a morning meal together on the shores of the Guaíba River. We know a nourishing meal in a time of crisis is so much more than a plate of food—it’s hope, it’s dignity, and it’s a sign that someone cares.
The reality on the ground still remains difficult. Agriculture in the region has been decimated, with an estimated 6,500 family farms impacted by the flooding. “They have been facing a natural disaster continually for weeks,” said Juan Camilo. “You imagine a hurricane or tornado, how quick that happens, but this has been for weeks without stopping.” As in many places, recovery is slowest in vulnerable neighborhoods and many businesses are unable to reopen, including markets.
To support the local economy, WCK teams plan to increase our partnerships with local restaurant and food truck partners. This allows WCK to support and empower local businesses to feed their own communities during times of need. Stay tuned for more updates by following our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.
Help us continue supporting families in Brazil.
