Ukupa River Flood Relief

Latter-day Saints help to deliver flood relief to communities in Panama, 2021.

Heavy rains were reported in several provinces of Panama in 2021. These rainstorms caused severe flooding and landslides in more than 35 communities, resulting in major road blockages, collapsed roads, and fallen trees in several regions. More than 27,000 people were affected, more than five thousand homes were damaged or destroyed, and, miraculously, only one person was killed.

In the early hours of Monday, June 7, the Ukupa River flooded, quickly impacting the Ukupa-Playón Grande community. This village cluster boasts the first decent water treatment system in the Guna Yala region. That region is difficult to reach by both air and land, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made prompt efforts to provide aid to the five hundred affected individuals. On Wednesday, June 9, 6,624 pounds of food and 150 boxes of potable drinking water were delivered to the community by Hipólito Pimentel, president of the Panama Mission. “It is a blessing for the Church,” he said, “to be able to help our neighbors with these essential items that we know will be very useful for their families.”