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Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency to allocate necessary resources for addressing the effects of the "El Niño" climate phenomenon, which is causing widespread damage worldwide.
The Bolivian president said in a national address that the decree also calls for deploying additional rescue teams to the most affected areas, as Bolivia faces both floods and droughts due to the phenomenon.
He explained: "This will be a phenomenon with extremely serious consequences, including drought waves and floods, and we need cooperation from all institutions."
A government report issued this week indicated that drought is affecting 78,000 families across six of the country's nine departments, and has led to the death of more than 75,000 livestock.
The "El Niño" phenomenon significantly alters atmospheric circulation, suppressing hurricane formation in the Atlantic Ocean while enhancing it in the Pacific Ocean.
The United Nations warned this week that the current phenomenon could reach "unprecedented" strength, bringing devastation to Latin America, East and Southern Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region.
Among Bolivia's neighboring countries, Peru has experienced rising temperatures and forest fires that have killed at least 12 people.
Chile also witnessed the rainiest October on record in its capital, Santiago.
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