12:00 hours

Situation

1. At 11:40:58 PM UTC/GMT (Greenwich time) 6:34:56 PM local time on August 15th, an earthquake measuring 7.9 degrees in the Richter scale struck in the Department of Ica. The epicenter was 25 miles (61 kilometers) west-northwest of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 90 miles (161 kilometers) south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was 30.2 km depth (18.8 miles). The effects were also strongly felt in Lima capital.

2. The last official report issued by the National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) informed the situation

Bonn/Lima, 24.07.2007. Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action) is releasing 50,000 euros for the victims of the devastating cold snap in the Andean regions of Peru. The money will provide warm clothing, medicine, food and blankets for around 6,000 people within the week. South America is experiencing unusually low temperatures, even for the winter season in the southern hemisphere. The result is snowfall -exceptional for this time of year - of up to 50cm.

"The people here are resilient. They even wear sandals in winter," explains Jeanette Weller, Welthungerhilfe's