By Laís Dornelas
The Armed Forces have completed two weeks of actions in support of the population affected by heavy rains in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). At a press conference held in Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, the Commander of Operation Taquari, Brigadier General Marcelo Zucco, gave an account of the actions. So far, the military has provided 2,692 medical services, removed 10,482 cubic meters of debris (the equivalent of 874 dump trucks) and transported 2,382 cubic meters of donations (the equivalent of 104 medium-sized trucks). To coordinate the integrated efforts of the Navy, Army and Air Force, the Ministry of Defense activated a Joint Command on September 4.
“Operation is changing the types of activities. Initially, it was search and rescue. Then there was the concern to provide the basic needs of human beings, which is food and shelter. Then, we sought the dignity of the cities by cleaning up the streets. Today, the Vale do Taquari region is in a reconstruction phase, supporting these homeless and displaced families. As long as the Forces are useful to the Civil Defense, we will be there to support them,” said General Zucco.
Around 1,000 Navy, Army and Air Force personnel are deployed in 32 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul: Alegrete, Arroio do Meio, Arroio Grande, Cachoeira do Sul, Canoas, Cerrito, Colina, Cristal, Cruzeiro do Sul, Encantado, Estrela, Ijuí, Jaguarão, Lajeado, Montenegro, Muçum, Nova Santa Rita, Passo Fundo, Porto Alegre, Pedro Osório, Quaraí, Quinta, Rio Grande, Roca Sales, Rosário do Sul, Santa Maria, Santa Teresa, Santiago, São Borja, São Gabriel, Uruguaiana and Venâncio Aires.
With the use of 12 vessels, 9 aircraft, 115 transport vehicles, 35 specialized engineering vehicles, 25 tents and 9 cisterns, the Forces are searching for and rescuing victims, aeromedical evacuations, transporting teams and homeless people, sorting and delivering donated clothing and food, distributing drinking water, supplying food to firefighting teams in the field, setting up tents, clearing roads, controlling damage, providing medical support and installing internet communication systems.