Bolivia calls for international aid for flood victims

Bolivia called for international aid on Friday to help tens of thousands of flood victims around the country, whose communities have been destroyed by recent heavy rains. Bolivia's Senate leader Eugenio Rojas made the appeal at a press conference, saying "the government has decided to ask friendly nations and international organizations for help in healthcare, food, tents, to get people out." "It's already organized and a plan has been devised," the president of the upper house told reporters. Rojas said President Evo Morales met on Friday with ambassadors and the representatives of aid organizations to coordinate aid efforts. "The Civil Defense has reported 55,645 families have been left homeless nationwide, with 133 towns affected by the emergency, and that 39,289 hectares of crops have been destroyed," Defense Minister Ruben Saavedra said on Friday. Some 55 people died in the flooding and 11 remained missing, Saavedra said by phone from the city of Rurrenabaque, in the hardest-hit northern Beni province. One of the first nations to respond to the tragedy, Argentina has pledged to, among other things, send a team of rescue workers to help with the aid effort. "The rescue workers are beginning to be organized to come to Bolivia," Argentine Ambassador Ariel Basteirohe said, adding Argentine Air Force planes would soon land in Bolivia with both aid and relief experts.