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Peru

Earthquake in Peru: Situation Report No. 9

Attachments

Situation

1. At 11:40:58 PM UTC/GMT (Greenwich time) 6:34:56 PM local time on August 15th, an earthquake measuring 7.9 degrees in the Richter scale struck in the Department of Ica. The epicenter was 25 miles (61 kilometers) west-northwest of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 90 miles (161 kilometers) south-southeast of Lima, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was 30.2 km depth (18.8 miles). The effects were also strongly felt in Lima capital.

2. The last official report issued by the National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) informed the situation up to August 23rd, 08:00 hrs: 514 dead 1,090 wounded 39,741 houses destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments. 6,300 houses affected. 52 hospitals affected. 14 hospitals destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments.

National Response

1. The Presidency of the Minister Council extended the state of emergency to the province of Yauyos in Lima in order to execute inmediate activities to attend affected population. The emergency situation is still in effect in the Department of Ica, the province of Cañete in the Department of Lima and the provinces of Castrovirreina and Huaytará and the district of Acobambilla (Department of Huancavelica, central-east of Lima), and to Huañec and Tupe in the province of Yauyos (Lima).

2. INDECI delivered to Pisco 800 tons of humanitarian aid and 250 brigadists for support recovery activities. INDECI also sent six trucks with humanitarian aid and aid from two INDECI warehouses to Pisco.

3. Regional and local authorities as well as regional institutions from the department of Puno (southern Andes) sent more than 48 tons of humanitarian aid.

4. The refuge "Estadio Picasso" is being implemented in Ica. There already are 17 refuges in Pisco and 9 in Chincha.

5. The President of Peru informed that humanitarian aid to affected areas has reached 95% of the affected population, although recognized that there are isolated areas yet to be attended. He also asked authorities of Banco de la Nacion (the National Bank) to accelerate the processes of loans approval for the localities of Ica, Pisco and Chincha as well as in the payment for pensioners.

6. Banco de la Nación in Pisco and Pisco's police station are working normally. Other financial institutions as well as SUNAT (the tax authority body) and Judicial Power started cleaning their facilities.

7. On August 22nd, the Peruvian government approved a Solidarity Law that allows regions and municipalities (provinces and districts) affected, to reallocate their budget for reconstruction activities, assistance, and aid to affected population. Regions and municipalities not affected by the earthquake are authorized to relocate up to 20% of their 2007 budget to support the affected zones.

8. On August 22nd, the Presidency of the Ministers' Council, announced that a census will take place from 29 to 31 August to register the earthquake affected population, in order to distribute more effectively humanitarian aid arriving to Peru. The census will be carry out by the National Institute of Statistic and Information (INEI) in the provinces of Cañete (department of Lima), Pisco, Chincha and Ica (department of Ica).

9. The Ministry of Health installed 50 chemical bathrooms on five of the 23 shelters located in Pisco, a total of 180 is planned. Sanitary precautionary measures have been initiated in the district of San Andrés (close to the coast).

10. Fishing companies are contributing with approximately 15.000 rations, as well as carps, mattresses, blankets, tables, torchlight, candles, phosphorus and medicines, for the workers of fishing plants affected by the earthquake.

11. The Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFP (SBS- Peruvian financial regulatory body), announced on August 23rd, several exception actions for treatment of credits disbursed from the financial system to the public living in the department of Ica, province of Cañete (Lima), provinces of Castrovirreyna, Huaytará and district of Acobambilla in the province of Huancavelica, department of Huancavelica.

12. INDECI announced that on August 23rd it will begin the activities in order to install 500 temporary housing in Pisco.

13. The Union of Peruvian Workers (CGTP), the main union in Peru, announced that it will suspend protests in response to the earthquake and will send a brigade of 100 construction workers to help in the emergency areas. CGTP will also donate 28 tons of food for the population affected.

14. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the estimated affected population in rural areas is more than 19,700 only in the department of Huancavelica. In the provinces of Castrovirreyna and Huaytará approximately 1,790 hectares and 128 small water irrigation systems were damaged and about 3,855 meters of water channels were lost. In the department of Ayacucho, the affected population is 23,500 in 11 rural provinces, 4,750 meters of water channels were damaged and 24 small water systems destroyed. Information related to rural affected communities in the province of Lima is yet to be assessed. Rural areas have been priorized by FAO giving the fact that they have been partially attended yet by humanitarian aid activities.