Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Update - Peru Earthquake
Preliminary Needs:  US$: 293,200
Geneva,  26 June 2001


A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter Scale rocked the south
west of Peru on 23 June 2001.  According to reports so far 21,035 persons
have been severely affected, with 1,126 injured and 66 persons reported
missing.  The death toll has risen to 69.

The affected territory is a strip of land of 60,000 km2 covering the
following areas:

Arequipa:  Provinces of Camana, Condesuyos, La Union, Cayiloma, Islay and
  Arequipa.
Moquegua: Provinces of Mariscal Nieto and Sanchez Cerro. 
Tacna: Provinces of Tacna and Tarata. 
South Ayacucho: Provinces of Paucar de Sara Sara.

Most of the houses in this region were built with adobe and consequently
were severely affected.  The affected population is sleeping out in the
open under very harsh conditions due to the low temperatures.

Many rural areas are inaccessible due to roads being cut off but reports
indicate that there have been significant damages in these areas due to
landslides that have affected irrigation channels and agriculture.  In
some urban areas, particularly in Moquegua, there are problems with the
provision of potable water but the extent of damages has not yet been
established.
 
The ACT members in Peru, DIACONIA, Centro de Estudios y Prevencion de
Desastres (PREDES) and Lutheran World Relief (LWR) have made an assessment
of the most urgent needs in the area and are requesting support for the
following activities: 1,200 temporary shelters, 2,400 tools (pickaxes and
shovels), 2,000 blankets and 1,200 mattresses. The estimated amount
required for the immediate relief activities is U$293,200.

The affected areas where they are proposing to work are:  
Moquegua: PREDES
Arequipa: LWR: La union, PREDES: Camana
South Ayacucho:  DIACONIA: Paucar de Sara Sara  

PREDES, DIACONIA and LWR will work through the local churches, social
organisations and NGO's present in the area and they will continue
reporting on the situation. An ACT appeal will be issued very shortly.

Thank you for your attention.

For further information please contact:

ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone
++ 41 79 203 6055)
or
ACT Appeals Officer, Elsa Moreno (phone +41 22 791 6420 or mobile phone
++41 79 608 88133)


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of 
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
   150, route de Ferney                         Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
   P.O. Box 2100                             E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
   1211 Geneva 2                              Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
   Switzerland                                 http://www.act-intl.org


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