Brazil floods force foreign refugees to rebuild lives from scratch

Tens of thousands of Haitians and Venezuelans who sought refuge in southern Brazil, escaping hunger, violence, and natural disasters, are once again forced to rebuild their lives. This time, their struggle is due to record flooding in Rio Grande do Sul state. (Pic credit: Reuters)

Reginald Descilong, who left Haiti after losing family and friends in the devastating 2010 earthquake, arrived in Brazil three years later after a grueling journey across Central America on foot and by bus. Now 39, Descilong, his wife, and their three daughters find themselves in a public shelter in the flooded state capital, Porto Alegre. (Pic credit: AFP)

"It seems that disaster is always chasing us. I got here but the problems don't stop. We lost everything in our home underwater, and we can't even get back there by boat," Descilong said. The persistent hardships make him question their next steps. "I don't know where I'm going now. We have to start all over again," he told Reuters. (Pic credit: Reuters)

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are 43,000 refugees living in the state, including 29,000 Venezuelans and 12,000 Haitians. Rio Grande do Sul ranks among the top three states receiving refugees under a federal humanitarian program that relocates migrants fleeing Venezuela from Brazil's northern border. (Pic credit: Reuters)

Many refugees, like Venezuelan Carina Gonzalez, left everything behind to escape the rising waters. Gonzalez, 27, had to abandon a backpack with her documents and those of her 11-year-old daughter when fleeing chest-deep water. "My husband told me to let go of the backpack or my dog. I wasn't going to leave my dog, so I let go of the backpack with my documents," she recalled. This loss adds to the challenges faced by immigrants, as documents are essential for their status in Brazil. (Pic credit: Reuters)

The Sarandi neighborhood on the north side of Porto Alegre has been the most common home for the state's refugees. It was also the hardest hit by flooding after a dike collapse. Over 26,000 Sarandi residents with homes underwater are now in various shelters throughout the city. (Pic credit: AFP)

"Many people have lost the documents they had, their migration papers, their provisional ID that will have to be reissued so they do not remain undocumented in Brazil," said UNHCR official Silvia Sander. The lack of documentation exacerbates the difficulties for refugees trying to rebuild their lives. (Pic credit: Reuters)

Carina and her husband Xavier are currently secure in their jobs, but they worry about the practicality of getting to work in a city where many downtown streets remain submerged. The couple crossed into Brazil in 2018, fleeing political tensions and an economic crisis in Venezuela. The floods have now thrown their lives into turmoil once more. (Pic credit: Reuters)

"We don't even know where we are going. We have no destination right now," Xavier expressed. The uncertainty and lack of a clear path forward weigh heavily on the refugees, who must once again start from scratch in the aftermath of yet another disaster. (Pic credit: Reuters)