Asuncion, Jun 15 (IANS/EFE): Nearly 30,000 people have been affected by the flooding here in Paraguay, officials said.

The floods were caused by a rise in the level of the Paraguay River, which runs through the capital, the Municipal Emergency and Disaster Council, or Comueda, said on Sunday.

The 6,000 families affected by the floods were housed in 66 shelters, where they were provided with water, electricity and medical care, Comueda director Nidia Lopez told radio station 970.

Comueda is also providing building materials such as wood and zinc sheets to those who do not want to abandon their homes, Lopez said.

Some residents refused to leave their homes because shelters are located far from schools and jobs, he said.

Nearly 13,600 people in Bañado Sur and 16,300 people in Bañado Norte are being assisted by Comueda, Lopez said.

The "bañados" are the riverside neighbourhoods, generally extremely poor areas, around Asuncion.

The 2014 floods forced 85,000 people to flee from their homes in the capital and affected about 200,000 people across Paraguay.