OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Peru - Floods
30 March 2001


Situation

1.  Exceptionally high rainfall during the months of February and March
2001 continue to cause overflowing of rivers, landslides and flooding in
the lower valleys, according to the report issued by the National
Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) on 27 March.

2.  The affected areas include the departments of Lima, Ica, Arequipa,
Moquegua, Tacna, Puno. Some 46,000 people have been affected, with more
than 8,000 houses damaged. Approximately 47,000 ha of crops have been
affected, of which some 8,000 ha of crops have been lost.

3.  In Lima, the Chillon river overflew, affecting more than 1,800 people,
400 houses, 2 educational Centers.


Priority Needs

4.  According to INDECI, priority needs are as follows:

Shelter
  1,000 tents for low-temperature zone
  10,000 zinc sheeting
  5,000 reinforced plastic sheeting
  500 clothing packages
  5,000 wool sheets

Food/household
  1,500 tons of foodstuff (oil, cereals, soup, flour)
  1,00 kitchen kits

Tools
  3,000 hoes
  3,000 picks and shovels
  1,000 metal wheelbarrows

Water drainage
  40 pumps of 4 and 8 inches
  40 suction and discharge hoses

Cattle food
  25,000 packs of fodder

Seeds and fertilizers
  4,000 tons of seeds (potato, barley, quinoa, fava beans, alfalfa, oats
    and dactylis)

  600 tons of fertilizers (such as urea, potassium chloride and
    superphosphate triple)


National Response

5.  The Government declared the State of Emergency for the departments of
Puno and Tacna. It has also created a National Commission for Emergency,
consisting of several Ministries, including Agriculture, Defense and
Industry, with INDECI as the Executive Secretariat.

6.  INDECI has opened two bank accounts at the Banco Continental for
donation:
 - For contributions in sol:         No. 0011-0661-64-0100013368
 - For contributions in dollars:     No. 0011-0661-67-0100013376

7.  INDECI has been working closely with the members of the National
System of Civil Defense by providing humanitarian assistance to the
affected population with food and shelter.

8.  In Puno and Lima, assistance is being provided through the Committees
of Civil Defense, which provide the affected families with tents, food,
household items, clothing, tools, plastic sheets, and fuel.


International assistance

9.  Oxfam is providing clean water, sanitation facilities, shelter and
promoting hygienic practices associated with the safe management of water
and sanitation, to support up to 10,000 affected people in Puno and El
Collao.

10.  The Government of Peru has not requested international assistance to
date.

11.  OCHA is monitoring the situation in collaboration with the United
Nations Resident Coordinator's Office in Lima.

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


Telephone: +41-22-91712 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 (OCHA Disaster Response Branch):
  Mr. Erik Haegglund / Mr. Carlos Pereira / Ms. Masayo Kondo
  Direct Tel: +41-22-917 32 99/13 83/19 97

Press contact:
  Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-91726 53


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
                                          web: www.cidi.org
                                     listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org