Bolivia mulls declaring national disaster due to wildfires

Bolivia's government is considering declaring a national disaster due to wildfires that have razed nearly 4 million hectares of forest and grassland, mainly in eastern Bolivia, Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Juan Carlos Calvimontes said Wednesday. Calvimontes' remarks came after Santa Cruz Acting Governor Mario Aguilera called on President Luis Arce's administration to "declare a disaster in the country because there is no way to continue addressing this emergency," and it was necessary to "add support, equipment and tools" from other countries. Declaring a national disaster would enable Bolivia to access national and international resources more quickly, facilitating the arrival of humanitarian and technical assistance to combat the wildfires. According to the governor, 39 wildfires are currently burning in 15 municipalities and more than 3.3 million hectares of land have been devastated. Enditem Source: The Namibia News Agency