Colombia rebuilds homes for flood victims

BOGOTA, June 22 (UPI) -- The Colombian government plans to assist families by rebuilding homes in the areas most damaged by this year's rainy season, officials said.

The Minister of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development has allocated $42 million toward the rebuilding of houses the northern Uraba region of the Antioquia department, Caracol Radio reported Wednesday.

"Six-thousand five-hundred houses will be attended that were affected by the phenomenon La Nina from 2010 to 2011," said Minister Beatriz Uribe Botero.

The northern Uraba region, which borders Panama, was most affected by floods and landslides caused by torrential rains, which includes the departments of Antioquia, Choco and Cordoba.

The government plans to build 1,900 homes in the municipality of Turbo and another 1,500 for displaced families.

This year's rainy season is one of the worst in the history of the country, claiming the lives of 141 people and affecting more than 2.8 million Colombians, officials said.