Since January, parts of Peru have been battered by almost unceasing rainfall – causing rivers to breach their banks, and triggering landslides that have wiped roads and houses off the map. Seventy-five people have already lost their lives because of the rains – which are thought by experts to be a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon – while more than 100,000 have lost their homes. As is so often the case, the poor, whose houses are usually the simplest of constructions, have been hardest hit. In total, more than half a million people are thought to have been affected by the storms.
Malteser Peru have been working in Lima and Piura, two of the country’s worst affected regions, for a number of years. “Most of the houses in these areas are built of either clay or wood, with a thatched roof. They are quite simply unable to stand up to the heavy rains that have been falling since January,” said Marco Antonio Quispe Perez, President of Malteser Peru.
In order to help people affected by the disaster, staff from Malteser Peru are collecting food, water, and clothing to be distributed to people in the affected areas. “Thanks to the work of our volunteers, we are currently providing people with the material goods and psychological support that they need – showing them that they are not alone. Many of the people here have lost everything, so every single donation counts towards giving them security and a roof over their heads,” said Perez.
Malteser International is calling urgently for donations to help the people affected. DONATE NOW!
