Cuenca Is Collecting Donations for Yanuncay Flood Victims — Drop-Off at La Gloria

What Happened

This week's heavy rains pushed the Yanuncay River over its banks, causing significant damage to homes in Soldados, Barabón, and parts of San Joaquín parish. Families lost furniture, mattresses, clothing, and food supplies. Some homes sustained structural damage.

This is the same flooding we covered in our winter storm roundup — but now there's something concrete you can do to help.

What They Need

The Municipality of Cuenca is accepting:

• Non-perishable food (rice, canned goods, lentils, cooking oil)
• Used clothing in good condition
• Mattresses
• Blankets and comforters
• Bottled water
• Medicine (over-the-counter basics — pain relievers, cold medicine, first aid supplies)
• Essential necessities (soap, toothpaste, diapers, sanitary products)

Where to Drop Off

Complejo Deportivo La Gloria (La Gloria Sports Complex)

• Address: Calles Azuay y Los Ríos, sector Los Tótems
• Neighborhood: Near the La Gloria market area

If you're not sure where that is: it's the sports complex near the intersection of Azuay and Los Ríos streets, in the Los Tótems sector of central Cuenca. Any taxi driver will know it.

No specific collection hours have been announced — the donation center appears to be accepting items during daytime hours.

Coming Up: Emergency Assessment

The COE (Comité de Operaciones de Emergencia) — Cuenca's emergency operations committee — is meeting Friday, March 13 at 8:00 AM to assess damage and plan restoration. We'll update this story with any new information from that meeting.

How Else to Help

If you can't drop off physical donations:

• Spread the word — share this article or the Municipality's social media posts
• Check on neighbors in affected areas, especially elderly residents who may not have asked for help
• Volunteer — the Municipality hasn't set up a formal volunteer program yet, but keep an eye on their social media for updates

These are our neighbors. Barabón and San Joaquín are communities many expats drive through or live near. If you've got extra blankets, clothes you were planning to donate anyway, or a few bags of rice to spare — now's the time.

Source: El Mercurio