News 12 November 2025 IOM Deploys Emergency Team to Support Tornado-Affected Communities in Southern Brazil

Paraná, Brazil, 12 November 2025- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed an emergency team to Rio Bonito do Iguaçu in southern Brazil to deliver immediate assistance and support recovery efforts following the devastating EF3 tornado that struck the municipality on 7 November.

"The scenes in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu are difficult to witness, but the determination of its people is remarkable," said Paolo Caputo, IOM Chief of Mission in Brazil. "As extreme weather events become increasingly frequent and severe, our priority is to ensure that no one is left behind. Protecting lives, restoring dignity, and helping families rebuild remain central to our mission."

Located nearly 400 kilometers from Curitiba, the capital of Paraná State, Rio Bonito do Iguaçu was devastated by winds reaching up to 250 km/h, which destroyed about 90 per cent of its urban area. Homes, schools, health facilities, and critical infrastructure - including power, sanitation, and water supply systems - were severely damaged.

According to official reports, seven people lost their lives and more than 800 were injured. The tornado also cut power to around 2,000 people and left hundreds of families displaced or without homes. The Government of Paraná declared a state of emergency, calling it one of the most severe disasters ever recorded in the region.

IOM has deployed an emergency team of 11 specialists in shelter management, health, protection, information management, and recovery to support state and municipal authorities responding on the ground.

The Organization is working with the National Force of the Unified Social Assistance System (ForSUAS), the emergency response mechanism of the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger (MDS), to provide rapid relief to affected communities, including emergency coordination, temporary shelter, and access to social protection and benefits programmes.

This response reflects IOM's growing role in helping communities adapt to increasingly frequent and severe disasters. As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, IOM continues to highlight the urgent need for climate action that protects the people most affected - ensuring that recovery and resilience go hand in hand.

With a long-standing presence in southern Brazil, IOM continues to stand ready to support affected populations. Drawing on its global expertise and recent response to the 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, the Organization is assisting local authorities in developing a comprehensive emergency response and recovery plan.

Just over 700 kilometers away from the site of the tornado strike, the state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced unprecedented floods in 2024 that inundated nearly the entire state and affected more than two million people. At the time, thousands were displaced and entire communities wereimpacted. IOM responded immediately, conducting needs assessments and delivering life-saving assistance to those most in need.

During that coordinated response, IOM played a leading role in managing humanitarian reception centres in Porto Alegre and Canoas. These centres provided emergency shelter, basic services, and a pathway for more than 1,000 displaced people to begin rebuilding their lives.

Building on those lessons, IOM is once again mobilized to support affected families in Paraná, working hand in hand with authorities to ensure a recovery that upholds human rights, strengthens resilience, and fosters inclusion.

For more information, please visit IOM's Media Centre.