Peru - Earthquake OCHA Situation Report No. 6

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2001/0123
OCHA Situation Report No. 6
Peru - Earthquake
29 June 2001

Situation

1. According to the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Lima, following reports from the Geophysical Institute of Peru, there have been 250 seismological movements since the initial earthquake.

2. The death toll and the number of injured people remain the same as reported in OCHA Situation Report. No.5, of 28 June 2001. Fifty-five people are still missing and the number of people affected is now of 188,295. Some 35,000 houses have been damaged /destroyed.

Situation in Omate and Puquina Provinces (Moquegua department)

3. A Ministerial/UNICEF commission was the first delegation to arrive in the isolated provinces of Omate and Puquina in the Moquegua department.

• Puquina: the total population of 3,320 has been seriously affected with 387 houses destroyed. 691 boys and 636 girls out of school. All education centers have been totally or partially destroyed. The two only health centres in the zone have also been destroyed. Agriculture and cattle activities have been seriously compromised.
• Omate: 500 houses totally or partially destroyed, 90% of all houses affected. 1,904 children are out of school..
• Moquegua City: 95% of total population affected. Around 100 classrooms are required in order to restart school activities. Food is urgently required. Community kitchens are starting to get organized by women and adolescents for preparation and distribution of food. A Civil Defense Commission is operating.

Situation in Tacna department

4. Following further reports from UNICEF, food provisions are already being distributed in the Tacna Department. The most affected areas are the Locumba and Candarave districts. Blankets and tents are urgently demanded. In the city, dozens of children from 0 to 5 years of age are sleeping on the streets.

Situation in Camana Region

5. According to the same reports, a UNICEF delegation arrived in Camana region, on the Pacific coast, and verified that the earthquake and subsequent tsunami totally destroyed the villages of Cerrillos, Las Cuevas, La Punta, Primavera, Punta Nueva. The populated area, with constructions oriented to tourism, is completely in shambles, after giant sea waves of up to 30 meters invaded the area more than 1 kilometer towards the mountains, destroying around 3,000 houses. Definite death toll is still ignored.

6. Community kitchens are operating, preparing and distributing food delivered by the National Food Programme (PRONAA). Even though that the school centres have not been seriously affected, children are unable to even think about going to school due to lack of clothing, shoes, and the most basic school materials. Children present emotional distress and many of them have fled to the mountains scared about the possibility of another tsunami. Cold weather is a problem: no shelters or blankets are available. The agricultural area of Pacchun has 20,000 has. affected along 10 kilometers of coast.

Health

7. According to reports from the Pan-American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), acute respiratory infections are increasing, due to lack of shelter and the low temperatures that have been prevailing in southern Peru. In the Andean areas of the Tacna department, respiratory infections have tripled.

8. New reports provided by joint assessment missions (Ministry of Health and WHO/PAHO), show that in the rural areas of the departments Ayacucho, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna, 18 health installations have sustained sever damage.

9. The Hospital Hipolito Unanue in Tacna, the most important hospital in the department, is requiring urgent repairing of its installations and annexes. Health assistance is being gradually reestablished in the Department of Arequipa, in spite of the damage sustained by the main Hospital Goyeneche.

Road Infrastructure

10. Eleven sectors of the Pan-American Highway between kilometers 600 and 1,300 have been damaged.

Agriculture

11. A preliminary report by the Ministry of Agriculture indicates that 16,000 hectares of cultivation, 141 irrigation canals, 16 reservoirs, and 317 rural roads have been destroyed.

National Response

12. The Minister of Education stated that USD140 million in credits will be requested to rehabilitate housing, schools, and roads.

13. The Ministry of Health, together with PAHO/WHO and UNICEF have started (with the support of the media) a prevention campaign concerning respiratory infections, diarrhea, deshidydration, water purification and food handling.

14. Damage assessment to the water systems, is being carried out by sanitary technicians from Ministry of Health accompanied by experts from PAHO/WHO.

15. In order to provide drinking water to the population, water purification units, water reservoirs and water distribution systems have been transferred to the affected areas.

16. Municipal districts and political groups, such as APRA and National Unity have organized collections of food, clothing and other relief supplies.

International Response

17. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting on 28 June, during which the National Institute for Civil Defense informed the international community of the damage caused by the earthquake, the assistance that is being received, and the value of the requirements which reaches the amount of USD 20 million.

18. The United Nations Resident Coordinator held a meeting of the UN Agencies represented in Peru to share information and coordinate activities.

19. Two experts on Supplies Management System (SUMA) from Venezuela and Ecuador, two "White Helmets" from Argentina, and an expert from Honduras, have been deployed to Peru to assist in the management of relief supplies. These five experts will reinforce the SUMA activities being carried out in the disaster site.

Needs for international assistance

20. No details available yet on the requirements presented by the Government at the meeting held on 28 June with the international community in Lima. The overall value was indicated to be USD 20 million.

21. The needs for basic relief supplies the Government presented to OCHA on 26 June included blankets, food, kitchen utensils, medicines, portable sanitary units/latrines, water purification units. It should be emphasized that items needed may be available in-country to be purchased with contributions made in cash. For this purpose, the Government refers donors to the following bank account: Banco continental 0011-0661-67-0100013376, Lima-Peru.

22. Some 90 per cent of the health installations are operating with restrictions, but there is no need for assistance in the form of medical staff/teams nor field hospitals. Please see OCHA situation report no. 4 dated 27 June for PAHO appeal in the area of health.

Contributions

23. Information on contributions to this disaster may be found by clicking on Financial Tracking on the OCHA internet website, www.reliefweb.int.

24. For coordination purposes, donors are requested to inform OCHA Geneva, on relief missions/pledges/contributions and their corresponding values by item. Donors are encouraged to notify OCHA Geneva of their contributions to this disaster using the OCHA Standardised Contributions Recording Format, available electronically on the above-mentioned Financial Tracking Website.

25. OCHA is prepared to serve as channel for cash contributions to be used for immediate relief assistance, in co-ordination/consultation with relevant organizations in the United Nations system. Funds should be transferred to OCHA account no. CO-590.160.0, Swift code: UBSWCHZ12A at the UBS AG, P.O. Box 2770, CH-1211 Geneva 2, with reference: "OCHA Peru - Earthquake - OCHA provides donors with written confirmation and pertinent details concerning the utilization of the funds contributed.

26. This Situation Report and further information on ongoing emergencies are also available on the OCHA website at http://www.reliefweb.int

Contacts

Telephone: +41-22-917 1234; Fax: +41-22-9170023; E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency: Tel. +41-22-9172010

Desk Officers: Mr. Erik Haegglund / Mr. Carlos Pereira / Ms. Masayo Kondo

Direct tel: +41-22-917 32 99/13 83/19 97

Press contact: Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo, Direct tel. +41-22-917 31 60

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