Contributor: Gary Burniske

The landslide that struck the El Bosque slum of Barranquilla destroyed homes, affecting at least 5,000 people. Photo: Gary Burniske/Mercy Corps

The hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with the affects of La Niña, triggered a large scale landslide in the community of El Bosque, an urban slum of Barranquilla (and home town of World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, who is traveling there later this week).

More than 1,000 families — at least 5,000 inhabitants — have been affected. The District Government has requested humanitarian support from Mercy Corps and we will be responding with emergency kits and psychosocial support for these newly homeless evacuees. Mercy Corps is currently the only international non-governmental organization on the ground assisting this population.

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