Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Floods caused by River Ramis, in Puno, after severe rains, hail and snow, have left a total of more than 11,000 affected people, according to the latest report of Peru's Civil Defense System (Indeci).

According to Indeci's data, more than 38,000 hectares of agricultural land have been affected, more than 2,000 houses collapsed and 994 have severe damages.

The most affected district is Taraco, in Huancané, with more than 7,000 affected residents.

The Regional President of Puno, Hernán Fuentes, reported that Indeci has already delivered 54.9 tons of humanitarian aid (tents, beds, matresses, pots, plastic buckets, tools, etc.) and that Pronaa (National Program for Food Aid) has distributed so far 44.5 tons of food.

“Now, recovery from damages comes next,” said Fuentes.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Residents of Lucre, one of the areas affected by the floods in Cusco, demanded more help from the government, since many of them have now no place to live, reports Enlace Nacional.

During a quick visit, Minister of Women and Social Development Nidia Vilchez talked to some of the affected residents.

Some help has arrived, but according to some local people, it is not enough, since many little towns like Lucre live entirely on agriculture, and now after the floods and mudslides, its residents they have lost everything they had.

President Alan Garcia visited Cusco a few days ago, and he said that there were only 5,000 hectares of crops affected by the floods, and that these farmers would be benefitted by the agrarian insurance.

(Photo: Andrew Dare)

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

At present, rains in Cusco have left more than 23,000 homeless people and more than 37,000 affected people; more than 16,000 hectares of crops have been damaged, and  nine bridges collapsed.

One week after the storms started, several districts and towns in Cusco have not received any help yet.

One of the most needed things is machinery to remove the rubble; construction materials to rebuild the destroyed houses, and sump pumps to get rid of the water.

People need things like blankets, matresses, tents, water, non-perishable foods, candles, warm clothes, plastics, medicines, items for personal hygiene and and big plastic bags to sort out and pack the donations.

Donations can be taken to these places:

IN LIMA:

Club Departamental Cusco
Almirante Guisse 934, Jesús María

Frecuencia Latina (TV2)
Av. San Felipe 968 – Jesús María
T. 219-1000

Peruvian Red Cross Headquarters
Av. Caminos del Inca and Las Nazarenas, Surco.

Niños del Arco Iris Foundation
Av. Argentina 5799, Carmen de la Legua, Callao
contact: Edith Torrejón T. 619- 6600 99350-0503 de 8am. a 5pm

IN CUSCO:
Main Square (in front of former Ayllu cafe)
Cusco Chamber of Commerce (Julio C. Tello C-11 Santa Mónica)
Doors of the San Antonio Abad University.
At the side of the Cusco Cathedral.
Rotary Club Cusco (Calle Nueva Baja Nº 565)

MONEY DONATIONS (BANK ACCOUNTS)

Banco de Crédito del Perú
Account 193-1853603-0-61
“Cámara de Comercio de Cusco-Damnificados”
(Cusco Chamber of Commerce)

Scotiabank
Account 780-7777777 (soles)

BBVA Banco Continental
Account 0011-0444-44-4444444444 (soles).

(Photo: Andrew Dare)

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The torrential rains that have been hitting Cusco, Southern Peru, have left 23,445 people without homes, while 37,375 have lost part of their properties, reported Peru's Prime Minister Javier Velasquez Quesquen, quoting recent Civil Defense reports.

In a press conference held in Cusco, he said that at present 4,689 houses have been destroyed and 7,435 have been damaged.

Nine bridges have collapsed and more than 16,000 hectares of agricultural land have been damaged.

Velasquez Quesquen also said that the national program for food aid (Pronaa) has helped 7,669 families with 61 tons of food, while the Civil Defense is taking 120 tons of humanitary aid to its Cusco warehouse.

Velásquez Quesquén gave this press conference along with Ministers Martín Pérez, Adolfo de Córdova and Nidia Vílchez, and also with the Ambassadors from Argentina, Brasil and Chile, who will coordinate the evacuation of their citizens.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's President Alan García told the press today that floods in Cusco have damaged only “0.4% of the national crops,” and ruled out the possibility of a food emergency.”

During his visit to Cusco today he said “we have some 5,000 hectares lost, but the affected farmers will be benefitted by the Agricultural Insurance.”

“Despite this disgrace, the percentage of the losses equals only to 0.4% of the country's hectares, so we are not facing any threat of food shortage,” he said.

Peru's President Alan García told the press today that the rains that hit Cusco were “three times as as much the historic maximum levels” and that now the pending task is “to recover Machu Picchu, which is a symbol of Peru, and one of the new seven wonders.”

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Fridet Montalvo Roca, a representative of Cusco farmers, said that the economic compensation that they will me paid since they lost crops due to the recent floods, should be “a realistic amount.”

“We would need between 3,000 and 4,000 soles per hectare, and the national Agrarian Insurance will pay us only 400. That covers less than one fifth of a day's work, and does not include the cost of the seeds, for example,” he said.

Previously, Minister Adolfo de Córdova had announced that 60,000 hectares of land in Cusco were protected by the Agrarian Insurance, which funds total 26 million soles.

According to the latest reports issued by the Regional President of Cusco, some 16,000 hectares of crops have been lost.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Fetransa, the company in charge of the Cusco-Machu Picchu railway, issued a press release reporting that the way is to be repaired in three stages, taking into account that there are eight critical spots where the railway has been completely destroyed.

According to Fetransa, the section between the Hydroelectric stop and Machu Picchu Pueblo would be the first to be repaired first, in order to open the access to for tourists and locals as well.

This would require the repair of the road between Santa Teresa town and the Hydroelectric station.

The company estimates that in some seven weeks they could repair the Piscacucho-Machu Picchu section, and finally the Ollantaytambo-Piscacucho section, which might take eight weeks.

However, Fetransa also remarks that this “depends on having favorable weather conditions.”

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Andina

Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Martin Perez hopes to evacuate on Friday the last group of tourists stranded near Machu Picchu.

"I think the rescue operation will officially end sometime today if the weather cooperates," Perez pointed out.

Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez said only about 800 tourists — mostly younger travelers — were still in Machu Picchu Pueblo, the closest village to the ruins that stand on an Andean mountain ridge 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) up.

“I've seen about 500 people in some areas; there are people perfectly lined up at the heliport, while others stand next to the wagons to keep their shifts and there should be more staying in hotels," he added.

Clear skies Thursday allowed helicopters to fly 1,402 people out of the town, and Perez said the rest could be evacuated in another day if the weather held.

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Andina

Peru's Minister of Transport and Communications, Enrique Cornejo, said Thursday that all tourists, stranded by heavy rains near the Machu Picchu ruins in southern Peru, will be evacuated in the next 2 days.

“If the weather is good today we may evacuate 800 tourists and tomorrow the same number. We have enough helicopters and fuel. The Peruvian Corporation of Commercial Airports and Aviation (Corpac) has doubled the air traffic controllers to guarantee the normal development,” he said.

He pointed out that in the last hours they evacuated 300 people, and in the last 10 days they have evacuated nearly 1,400 visitors. An additional 1,200 tourists are still in these areas, but this number can increase because more people are arriving from the Inca Trail.

He said that these operations are performed by the National Police and the Army, and it is controlled by Peru's Minister for Foreign Trade Martin Perez.

“There are a total of 13 helicopters operated from Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport, located in Cusco,” he said, adding that as the days go by the situation is normalized.

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