Help people affected by flooding in the Peruvian Amazon

My name is Christian Abizaid from Whitby, Ontario. I am raising funds to support families in the Peruvian Amazon, who are currently being affected by worst flood in more than 4 decades.

Although exact numbers are unknown, most rural communities, which are mainly found in the floodplain, are believed to be inundated and the number of people affected reaches several thousands in Ucayali alone. Flooding is not new, and local residents have developed diverse livelihoods in relation to the flood, but this year they have been hit hard. People have lost crops, many had to seek shelter when their stilt-houses got flooded, food is becoming scarce, and access to drinking water and sanitation are concerning because wells are compromised and latrines are unusable. State officials and various organizations have set up temporary shelters and provided food and medical assistance, but they have primarily targeted affected populations in settlements in the outskirts of the city of Pucallpa. Despite the state of emergency, most rural Amazonian populations have not received assistance.

My goal is to support the people of Exito along the Ucayali River. This community has welcomed me and allowed me to conduct research and learn about their customs and livelihoods for more than 20 years. Although living quite modestly by North American standards, they have always been very generous and caring with me. During this time, they have shared from what they have and opened their homes and hearts to me and we have built a meaningful relationship.

Exito is an old Amazonian community along the Ucayali River. The area shown in the picture is all under water. (Adapted from Google Earth).

Exito is prone to flooding so people build their houses on stilts to stay above the flood waters and their activities change in relation to the flood cycle.

I visited the community at the end of February 2025, when flood waters had already surpassed the big flood of 2011. By then, the community had been inundated for 2 weeks, people were waist-deep in water salvaging mature crops from their fields; people living in higher stilt homes were hosting relatives and neighbors whose houses were inundated. People were not panicking but were hoping river levels would soon drop.

Plantain trees under water. Fully developed fruit can be harvested but most plants will die. It will be at least 9 to 12 months before replanted fields produce again (February 25, 2025).

House temporally abandoned due to inundation. People were being hosted by extended family whose house is on higher stilts (February 26, 2025).

Inside of the house shown above. When floodwater surpasses their floors, people must lift their belongings to keep them dry (February 26, 2025).

With all the land submerged, people in Exito use canoes and boats to get around.

But instead of dropping, water levels rose by about another half a meter by mid-March, forcing people to seek shelter in the community’s school. Water levels dropped slightly at the start of April, but it has been raining hard in the past few days causing water levels to rise again, which is worrying people. They have been inundated for more than 8 weeks now (April 11) and they see no signs of relief.

Given the severity of the situation, I am working with a few families originally from Exito who live in the city of Pucallpa, to deliver food assistance to people in the community as early as possible. Arrangements are already in place for local partners to purchase, sort, and deliver assistance at no cost beyond supplies and transport -- what we need is your generosity to support our joint efforts. Any donation to support the residents of Exito during this critical time, no matter how small, can make a difference and would be greatly appreciated by them.