U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
PERU - Earthquake 
Fact Sheet #2, Fiscal Year (FY) 2001    June 26, 2001


Background

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that, on June 23, 2001, at
approximately 3:33 pm local time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1 on
the Richter Scale occurred near the Peruvian coastline some 120 miles west
of Arequipa or about 375 miles southeast of Lima, the Peruvian capital.  
A tsunami tidal wave subsequently struck along the coastal department of
Arequipa.  The earthquake was also felt in northern Chile and western
Bolivia.  Press reports indicate that the earthquake lasted more than one
minute.  Consistent with expected seismic activity following earthquakes
of this magnitude, aftershocks continue to occur, including 2 aftershocks
between magnitude 6 and 7, and 10 between magnitude 5 and 6.


Numbers Affected

The Peruvian Civil Defense Institute (INDECI) is reporting that 102 people
were killed, 1,368 were injured, and 53 residents are missing.  These
numbers are expected to rise as telecommunications are restored and
information is received from more remote locations.  Preliminary estimates
by INDECI indicate that a total of 46,470 people have been affected, most
of which are without shelter.  It is estimated that 10,000 homes have been
rendered uninhabitable. The displacement of residents is of particular
concern to local officials as overnight temperatures in the area are below
freezing.


Current Situation

Overview

- The Government of Peru (GOP) has established an operations center in
Arequipa to coordinate emergency services, and has allocated all available
national resources to respond.

- Peruvian President Valentin Paniagua, after surveying the damage on June
24 declared a state of emergency in the departments of Arequipa, Moquegua,
and Tacna, as well as in the provinces of Parinacochas and Páucar del Sara
Sara in the department of Ayacucho.  President Paniagua has asked for
international assistance in responding to the most urgent needs of those
impacted.

- The Peruvian Ministry of Welfare has sent an assessment team to the area
to conduct a food needs analysis.

- In Moquegua, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that
tanker trucks are being used to distribute potable water.

- Rescue work and the delivery of aid to local residents has been
complicated by rockslides that have cut off some rural roads, according to
local officials.

- The Peruvian Red Cross has 500 volunteers and staff doing search and
rescue and evacuating the injured to hospitals.

- GOP aircraft have been dispatched to the affected areas carrying 22 tons
of relief supplies, including chlorine tablets, medical equipment,
blankets, tents, and canned food.

- After surveying the damage in Arequipa on June 24, President-elect
Alejandro Toledo departed on a pre- scheduled trip to the United States
and Europe where he indicated he would discuss with other countries the
need for international assistance to rebuild.


Damages/Assessments

- Water, telephone, sewage, and electrical services throughout the area
have been disrupted.

- PAHO reports that fifty percent of the housing in the town of Moquegua
(population 135,000), mostly of adobe construction, has been seriously
damaged with the neighborhood of San Francisco especially hard hit.  The
water and sewage systems of Moquegua have collapsed.

- According to PAHO, the towns of Arequipa (population one million) and
Tacna (population 10,000) suffered light to moderate damage to its housing
stock.  Electricity and water services in these urban centers are nearly
restored, however, the rural areas remain without power.

- The coastal ports of Camana and Chala are reported to have suffered
damage from the tsunami tidal wave which followed the initial earthquake.
Crops in the area were destroyed as the ocean water surged 800 meters
inland.

- PAHO reports that the Goyeneche Hospital in Arequipa and the Hipolito
Unanue Hospital in Tacna had to be partially evacuated due to structural
damage.  In Arequipa, Moquegua, and Ayacucho several health centers
collapsed.  Some hospitals in the region are functioning using emergency
generators and water reserves.

- Road transport in the area has been impacted.  In the department of
Arequipa, the Pan-American Highway has been temporarily blocked by
landslide debris, while the bridge connecting the southern departments of
Moquegua and Tacna collapsed.  Most of the roads in the area are in the
process of being cleared, and the road between Moquegua and Tacna is
expected to be passable shortly.


Multilateral Organization Response

- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UNOCHA) has mobilized a U.N.  Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team,
and is working to support the Peruvian national authorities and other
donors to assess the most urgent needs of the affected local population.

- Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) disaster experts from its
Ecuador office arrived in Peru on June 24 and are supporting Peruvian
Ministry of Health and Civil Defense authorities in assessing immediate
needs, evaluating damages, and providing health services to affected
populations.

- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) is appealing for two million Swiss francs to support the Peruvian
Red Cross emergency operation for victims of the earthquake.  The IFRC
airlifted a initial planeload of emergency relief items (including tents,
blankets, and food) on June 25 from its logistics base in Panama.

- The British Red Cross is deploying two logisticians and the Japanese Red
Cross is sending a four-person medical team.  Spanish and German Red Cross
delegates are already in the country.  The Spanish Red Cross has provided
$25,000 to the Peruvian Red Cross.

- The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved an emergency
credit of $20 million to finance the reconstruction of the affected areas.


Other Donors

- The European Union, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), has
pledged $1million in humanitarian assistance to help meet the urgent
emergency needs of victims. The funds will be used to provide essential
relief items, food aid, temporary shelter, medical support, potable water,
and sanitation facilities.

- The Government of Spain supplied transport for a shipment of emergency
supplies on June 26, including water purification tablets, blankets,
temporary shelter, emergency food rations, and cooking kits.  ECHO
financed these relief commodities.

- The Government of Japan (GOJ) provided 40 tents and 2,000 blankets. The
GOJ further made available $500,000 in emergency grants.

- The Government of the United Kingdom released emergency aid on June 24
totaling $343,000.

- The Government of France has announced its intention to provide
emergency funds for the purchase of urgently needed relief supplies.


U.S. Government (USG) Assistance

USAID Personnel / Assessment Team

- On June 24, a four-person USAID/OFDA assessment team arrived in Lima and
then traveled to Tacna with U.S.  Embassy and USAID/Lima personnel on June
25. A representative of PAHO is also accompanying the team.  The
assessment team, working in cooperation with INDECI and the local
authorities, has established its base in Tacna and is conducting needs
assessments in the surrounding affected communities.  One additional
USAID/OFDA team member arrived in Lima on June 25 and another member on
June 26.


USAID/OFDA Assistance

- On June 24, U.S. Ambassador to Peru John Hamilton issued a disaster
declaration due to the earthquake. In response, USAID/OFDA released
$25,000 for the local purchase of emergency relief supplies, including
building materials for the construction of temporary shelter and batteries
for emergency generation of power.

- On June 25, USAID/OFDA airlifted a package of relief supplies to the
affected area which included 300 rolls of plastic sheeting for use in the
construction of temporary shelter, 2,700 wool blankets, six water bladders
and 5,200 five-gallon water jugs. All of these relief commodities were
consigned to INDECI and distributed in the town of Candarave in the
northern sector of the department of Tacna.



USAID/BHR Funding Summary 

USG Agency
Action
Funding

USAID/OFDA
Disaster Assistance Authority for local purchase of relief supplies
 $25,000

USAID/OFDA
300 rolls of plastic sheeting
 $81,000

USAID/OFDA
2,700 wool blankets
 $16,200

USAID/OFDA
5,200 five-gallon water jugs
 $10,400

USAID/OFDA
6 water bladders
 $15,000

USAID/OFDA
Airlift of commodities
$100,000

USAID/OFDA
Support costs for six person assessment team 
 $10,000

Total
USAID/OFDA Assistance for June23 Earthquake
$257,600



Mitigation Assistance

- For more than 10 years, USAID/OFDA has provided extensive training in
Peru and neighboring seismically active countries to increase their
capacity to prepare for and respond to earthquakes and other natural
disasters.  Courses include Rescue from Collapsed Structures, Advanced
First Aid, and Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis.

- USAID/OFDA recently assisted the GOP in establishing a first responder
program for southern Peru, working with Civil Defense, the Ministry of
Health, and the Voluntary Fire Fighter Corps.


Public Donation Information

- In the interest of effective coordination of public response, USAID
encourages the public to contact directly those private voluntary
organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region to provide monetary
donations.

- A list of the PVOs may be obtained from the USAID web site at
http://www.usaid.gov/.  Those interested in providing specific technical
relief services or commodities should contact Volunteers in Technical
Assistance's (VITA's) Disaster Information Center for information and
guidelines at 703-276-1914.

- USAID will not deviate from standard Denton Program procedures for
transporting privately donated relief supplies.  USAID will prioritize
delivery of essential relief commodities.  For more information on the
Denton Program, please refer to the USAID website at
http://www.usaid.gov/hum_response/pvc/denton.html.

- For additional information about the relief effort in Peru, please refer
to the Natural Disasters section of ReliefWeb at
http://www.reliefweb.int/.

- The American Red Cross donations hotline is 1-800-HELP NOW.



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