05/16/2024 – 7:22
The government of Rio Grande do Sul reduced the number of municipalities in a state of public calamity to 46 – there were 397 a week ago. And the main rivers no longer have high warnings. But 320 cities are still in an emergency situation and there are 76 thousand people in shelters. Since the end of April, 149 deaths have been reported as a result of flooding in the State.
The difference between an emergency situation and a state of public calamity lies in the government’s ability to respond to the crisis, according to the Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense. In the case of an emergency, this capacity is partially affected, so the municipality needs additional resources.
A public calamity occurs when the disaster completely compromises the municipality’s ability to respond. The body emphasizes, however, that in the work plan phase of restoration and reconstruction actions, in which public resources are sought, municipal authorities must prove the need and the damage.
The issue of shelters
From a hundred to a few thousand people, shelters of different sizes, profiles and realities are created day by day to receive the population. A partial State balance shows 830 active in 103 municipalities, created both by public authorities and civil society in clubs, schools, sports centers, parishes, universities, samba schools, Traditions Centers and other spaces.
One of the largest improvised shelters after the tragedy, the campus of the Lutheran University of Brazil (Ulbra), in Canoas alone, brings together around 6 thousand people, in addition to an area dedicated to animals. In the current phase, some are beginning to be set up for groups with different needs and characteristics, such as women, blind people and atypical families. Furthermore, a shelter in Canoas and another in Porto Alegre are references for receiving children unaccompanied by their guardians. The majority, however, are aimed at the general population, from newborn babies to the elderly.
According to the State, the municipalities with the most people allocated to shelters are Canoas (18.4 thousand people), Porto Alegre (14.3 thousand), São Leopoldo (13.9 thousand), Guaíba (4.4 thousand) and Novo Hamburgo ( 2.6 thousand). The data considers the location of spaces, not the cities where people lived. An example is Eldorado do Sul, which was almost completely flooded, and residents were rescued to other locations.
For experts, the new moment requires a more consolidated, organized, safe and welcoming dynamic for the population. To this end, it needs to involve training of volunteers and employees linked to the public sector, service protocols and greater involvement of public authorities.
Conflicts have been recorded in some shelters, such as fights, arguments and possible thefts, as there is little privacy and collective interaction with many people simultaneously. Professor of Psychology at the Federal University of Rio Grande (Furg), Beatriz Schmidt explains that disaster response needs to have an emphasis on First Psychological Care. “They involve both psychological and social support for people facing a crisis situation,” she says.
“We do this through active listening to the person’s story, the way they are experiencing the disaster and their main demands. This way, it is possible to comfort her, as well as help her to seek other support and services.”
Management
Also a professor at Furg and with experience in disasters, psychologist Lucas Neiva Silva says that managing a shelter involves different moments of attention. One of the first is welcoming. Working as an emergency psychologist in rescue areas and volunteering at a shelter with 600 people, in Porto Alegre, he explains that some of these people arrive at a level of chronic stress after days waiting for rescue, sometimes out in the open, wet and far from loved ones. “You need to ensure this person rests. Lack of rest can cause a greater level of aggression and impatience, which creates possible conflicts in these shelters,” he says.
To facilitate coexistence, he indicates the division of people into groups with common characteristics: single men; families in general; families with young children; women who are unaccompanied, among others.
“Whoever has a small child has more patience to put up with the small child next to them crying. By sheltering with your peers, you can even create a support network”, he explains. “Couples and families should stay away from single men. If someone thinks that the single man looked at the married woman, it could create a conflict situation,” he cites another example.
Furthermore, another guideline is to establish clear rules for coexistence and distribution of donations. As they do not always arrive in sufficient numbers for everyone, it is recommended to have clear criteria, such as giving priority to families with babies, then small children. “You need objective criteria. So the person knows that they are in line and that they will receive it at some point.”
Children
Beatriz highlights that this reception also needs to support people who are searching for missing people or who have lost contact with their family and friends. And children especially need attention. The professor and other experts have prepared material with technical guidelines for psychosocial care for minors in shelters, both accompanied and unaccompanied by their guardians. “It is a necessity of the utmost importance at the moment”, she highlights.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) released guidelines to support mothers, fathers and caregivers in the process of welcoming and caring for girls and boys affected by the rains. “Environmental disasters can promote so-called ‘toxic stress’. It is important that adults can offer the necessary support so that children continue to have healthy and full development. This can be done through responsive care, attentive listening and welcoming conversation and play,” said child development officer in Brazil, Maíra Souza.
And the future?
Furthermore, the city of Porto Alegre has been talking about a later stage, when spaces temporarily transformed into shelters return to normal activities. The Sebastião Melo (MDB) administration has discussed the creation of a “mini city” in the Porto Seco Cultural Complex, in the north zone. The proposal would involve the homeless remaining on the sambadrome track and in the parking lot. The city hall intends to discuss the implementation with the federal government. (RENATA OKUMURA AND VICTÓRIA RIBEIRO COLLABORATED)
The information is from the newspaper The State of S. Paulo.
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