“The Secretary-General notes that disasters like this are a reminder of the devastating effects of the climate crisis on lives and livelihoods,” the spokesperson said. “He reiterates his call for swift international action to contain the chaotic effects of climate change,” he added.
Earlier, it was Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, who sounded the alert. “Torrential rains are nothing more than another very painful manifestation of something we know is affecting the globe,” she said.
“The catastrophe is a tragic reminder of how increasingly intense and frequent events affect socioeconomic development,” he said.
Paola Albrito, representative of the UN Secretary-General on Disaster Reduction, also highlighted the climate crisis in Brazil, pointing to “the painful warning” that the disaster in Rio Grande do Sul represents. She congratulated the response of the Brazilian authorities.
But he warned that Latin America is now the second continent most affected by natural disasters in the world. In 2023, 11 million people were affected in the region, leaving US$20 billion in damage.
