Flooding forces evacuations in Argentina

Around 1,700 people have been forced from their homes and 3,500 others are being affected by flooding in areas of northern and eastern Argentina, the Red Cross said Wednesday.

The hardest-hit areas are in the northern province of Chaco, which is also suffering from power outages due to high winds accompanying the torrential rains.

The floods are blamed for four deaths.

“It’s a complicated situation because this is an emergency at the national level, as many provinces are involved,” Red Cross emergency response director Rodrigo Cuba said.

On the positive side, he said, evacuated families in the northern provinces of Tucuman and Santiago del Estero will soon be able to return to their homes.

Red Cross officials said they are working on an action plan to provide emergency health services and psychosocial support to people in evacuation centers, as is already occurring in the eastern province of Santa Fe.

The National Meteorological Service expects storms to end in parts of the north and northeast.