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Peru

Peru - Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 1

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2003/0020
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Peru - Floods
27 January 2003

Click here to see MAP: Peru - Floods: Affected Areas

Situation

1. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lima reports that due to heavy rains in neighboring Bolivia last week, 5 rivers (Inambari, Puquir, Colorado, Manu, Tambopata) in the department of Madre de Dios in the south-east of Peru, have overflowed causing extensive flooding. As a consequence, land access to the districts of Inambari, Huaypetue, Punquiri y Boca Colorado, from Puerto Maldonado, the department's capital is blocked.

2. An estimated 4,000 ha of commercial crops have been flooded. The main highway between the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios has been blocked owing to the heavy rains.

3. Heavy rains have also caused rivers to overflow in the provinces of Melgar, Azangaro, Huancane, San Antonio de Putina and Carabaya in the department of Puno, where the level of poverty is registered as extremely high.

4. According to the Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil (INDECI), some 3,000 families have been affected and two persons have lost their lives.

National Response

5. In coordination with INDECI, the Government has established an air lift operation to deliver food and relief supplies to the affected areas. The Chief of INDECI informed that 189 tons of relief supplies have been sent by air, and two helicopters were deployed for distribution. INDECI is to provide 400 basic housing modules and water pumps to the affected area.

6. The Government of Peru has not requested international assistance so far.

7. OCHA is in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in Peru.

8. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
Mr. Erik Haegglund, Mr. Ricardo Mena, Ms. Masayo Kondo
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299 / 1455 / 1997

Press contact:
(GVA) - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
(N.Y.) - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-212-963 87 40

Disclaimer

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