Brazil Releases Another $125.6 Million to Flooded States

(Bloomberg) -- Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro authorized the release of an additional 700 million reais ($125.6 million) for assistance to survivors after heavy rains left several cities underwater and thousands of people homeless.

The government on Tuesday had already released 200 million reais to rebuild highways and roads in the states of Amazonas, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Para and Sao Paulo.

Bolsonaro was heavily criticized throughout the week because, in addition to the initial amount being considered negligible by his opponents, the president refused to interrupt his beach vacation to go to the site of the floods.

Of the amount released Friday, 200 million reais will be allocated to food security with the remainder to bolster a network of social assistance services, according to the decree published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette.

The state worst hit by these rains has been Bahia. At least 25 people have died and 92,000 are homeless. Some 643,068 people were affected by rain in at least 150 cities there, according to the civil defense force. 

Bahia recorded the highest accumulated rainfall for December in 32 years.

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