Families in flood-stricken South to get $1,000 as federal aid
Families who lost furniture, appliances, and other objects in the floods that devastated the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul in recent weeks will be entitled to receive BRL 5,100 (close to USD 1 thousand) as federal aid.
The announcement was made Wednesday (May 15) by the president’s Chief of Staff Rui Costa, during a visit by a delegation led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to São Leopoldo do Sul, near the capital Porto Alegre.
“The aid that we are disbursing today is aid for those who have lost their fridge, their stove, their TV, their furniture, their mattress. […] They will have BRL 5,100 transferred to their accounts quickly and easily via [instant payment service] Pix,” he stated.
The amount is estimated to benefit some 200 thousand families, adding up to more than USD 230 million. The authorities will cross-check data to confirm whether claimants live in an area listed as affected by the Civil Defense.
The move is yet another measure aimed at supporting those affected by the biggest environmental disaster in the history of Rio Grande do Sul. Altogether, 449 cities have been affected. By Wednesday morning, 149 deaths, 108 missing people, and more than 800 injured had been recorded.
