Bolivia — humanitarian situation

Bolivia experienced significant civil unrest from early May through mid-June 2026, driven by cross-sectoral demonstrations over land reform, economic policies, and fuel shortages. The crisis escalated with widespread road blockades across key national transport corridors, severely disrupting economic activity and movement of goods between departments. By late May 2026, blockades had expanded substantially, restricting access to essential services and markets IFRC. On 19 June, the government reached an agreement with the Bolivian Workers' Central, a key mobilizing actor, followed by a state of emergency declared on 20 June to lift remaining blockades after 50 days of demonstrations ACLED. The situation has since de-escalated, though the agreement remains fragile. The civil unrest compounded existing vulnerabilities from natural disasters. Between June and August 2025, Bolivia faced wildfires and prolonged drought conditions affecting several departments, with prolonged dry conditions, high temperatures, and strong winds creating conditions for rapid fire spread across large areas IFRC. Recovery efforts from these events continued into 2026. Bolivia also faces elevated risk from the anticipated El Niño phenomenon 2026-2027, with forecasts indicating 82-88% probability of establishment between May and July 2026, increasing to over 90% by year-end OCHA. The phenomenon could bring more extreme weather patterns to the region. Public health concerns include measles transmission, with the Americas region reporting 47,026 confirmed cases across 17 countries between January and late July 2026, representing a five-fold increase compared to 2025 PAHO. While Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, and Canada account for 97% of regional cases, PAHO urges all Member States to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and vaccination activities. Yellow fever transmission also remained active in 2026, with six countries in the Americas reporting 79 human infections and multiple epizootics indicating active sylvatic circulation between January and May WHO. Coordination meetings convened by the Logistics Cluster and WFP in La Paz during June and July 2026 indicate ongoing humanitarian coordination efforts WFP.