Attachments
Highlights
The floods in Peru continue to put the lives of thousands of children in danger. UNICEF Peru is responding to the crisis and is actively supporting the Government to protect those affected.
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With heavy rains continuing in Peru the extent of the emergency is still unfolding, affecting directly at least 285,000 children.
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Urban areas are reported to be more severely impacted by the disaster, with the northern town of Piura suffering severe flooding.
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Whilst many of Peru’s schoolchildren return to school on 27 March more than 2 million remain affected by school closures due to damage caused by the disaster.
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The National Civil Defence Institute with the Prime Minister’s Office is coordinating the humanitarian action allocating $750 million for the emergency response.
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UNICEF is responding to the crisis and is leading the intersectoral coordination groups on WASH, Protection and Education. UNICEF is urgently requesting US$3 million for its emergency response to the crisis.
SITUATION OVERVIEW & HUMANITARIAN NEEDS (reporting 21-26 March)
In the past few days, “El Niño Costero” has continued to cause heavy rains and flooding across large parts of Peru. The disaster has claimed already lives of 90 people, while it is affecting an estimated 863,000 people of whom 285,000 are children. The most severely affected districts are Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad and Lima Metropolitana. The Government has added Tumbes on the northern border of Peru with Ecuador to the areas where needs assessments are taking place.
Humanitarian needs are wide-ranging. Thus far it is estimated that 29,000 houses and dwellings have been destroyed or collapsed, affecting at least 120,000 people who are in immediate need for alternative shelter and other types of assistance, especially as many of them also have lost personal belongings, including personal documents. There are reports of many children and families living in unofficial shelters which are unlikely to meet basic needs, including water, sanitation and hygiene as well as protection.
Many more people in the affected areas have no access to clean water and there is concern that levels of personal hygiene and sanitation are low, increasing risks of disease outbreaks, including acute diarrhea, dengue and Zika virus. There is also a concern for the health and nutrition of those affected, in particular vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, young mothers and children. 14,000 schools have been directly affected. The official start of the school year was delayed by a week. Classes in much of the country resumed on 27 March, but it is estimated that over 2 million children will continue to be out of school as they remain closed either due to sustained damages or as a preventative measure. The large number of children temporarily out of school raises also other child protection concerns.
The State of Emergency is in effect in 11 of the country’s 24 departments and one constitutional province, and a Health Emergency has been declared in 8 departments, affecting 655 districts. According to the National Office of Meteorology and Hydrography (SENAMHI, Spanish acronym) the emergency situation is expected to continue until the end of April. In the town of Piura, in Piura region, which is one of the most affected areas of Peru, the river has continued to rise over the weekend and has flooded the city. Rains are expected to continue until at least the end of March and it is predicted that parts of the Amazonian area of the country will also be affected.