The National Emergency Commission (CNE) is asking for food donations for families affected by the country's severe rains and flooding, which have continued for over a week.

As of Saturday, almost 2,000 people and 165 pets had been evacuated to 41 shelters, where they were given medical care, food, and lodging. They were rescued when their houses were flooded by overflowing rivers, according to authorities.

The Commission is collecting food packages. Each food bag should contain canned foods, soup, rice, beans, coffee, pasta, ketchup, snacks, condiments, cereal, cooking oil, spices, bottled water, shelf-stable milk, juice, plastic bags, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and plastic utensils.

Volunteers do not accept contributions of other sorts of food or clothing.

The food, which must include at least five of the items specified above, must be packaged in a clear plastic bag labeled with the donor's full name and a list of the products supplied. 

Please drop off donations at the Commission's facilities at the Tobias Bolaños airport in Pavas Canton, in San José. In Guanacaste at the food bank in Cañas Canton. In Puntarenas, aid may be dropped off at the food bank in Parrita Canton. On the Osa Peninsula, contributions can also be dropped off at the Cuidad Cortes Canton / Osa food bank.

This week, the Red Level Alert along the Pacific Coast (Puntarenas and Guanacaste provinces) was issued by the Commission.

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Chaves-Robles issued a presidential decree declaring a State of National Emergency in response to the country's emergencies due to severe rains.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) works with people and emergency professionals to strengthen, sustain, and enhance the county's ability to plan for, defend against, respond to, recover from, and reduce any potential hazards.