Urgent needs of refugees, vulnerable people surge in flood-hit Brazil

Nelson Antonio da Silva, who lost his home to flooding, shelters in a truck trailer in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on May 10, 2024. Residents paddle across a flooded area after heavy rain in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on May 10, 2024.

As Brazil’s heavily flooded southern state of Rio Grande do Sul braces for a weekend of intense rain, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, is calling for greater support to help tens of thousands of refugees, who are among the most vulnerable people affected by the disaster.