UN releases emergency grants for Peru earthquake assistance

(New York: 16 August 2007): The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today announced two $100,000 emergency grants to provide immediate relief in the wake of the earthquake that hit Peru last evening.

The earthquake, which struck at 6:34 p.m. local time, measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and was at a depth of 30.2 kilometres. The epicenter was 61 kilometres west-northwest of Chincha Alta, Peru, and 161 kilometers south-southeast of Lima. Several aftershocks have been registered.

So far, the number of dead has risen to 450, with at least 1,500 injured casualties, and with at least 377 houses destroyed. In addition, two hotels have reportedly been destroyed and two health centres and two hospitals affected. Electricity and communications are down in some areas.

The Peruvian Government has declared a state of emergency in the Department of Ica. The Peruvian Civil Defense System (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil, or INDECI) is currently setting up a situation room to respond to the emergency, while an INDECI assessment team has been deployed to the Departments of Ica and Chincha. The Ministry of Health has deployed medical teams to Ica Department to lend support to the local hospitals.

The United Nations Disaster Management Team, with the national authorities, is currently in the process of determining if requests for Urban Search and Rescue teams will be issued. Search and rescue experts are currently on stand-by as well as United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination experts, should they be required. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Peru has activated the Emergency Operations Centre on a 24-hour basis.

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679;

Dizery Salim, OCHA NY, + 1 917 367 9262;

Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.