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UNICEF Peru Humanitarian Situation Report #13 (29 Aug 2017)

Countries
Peru
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

Highlights

To date, UNICEF has provided humanitarian assistance in WASH, protection, nutrition, health and education to 179,789 children and their families in the most affected districts of Piura.

  • UNICEF has reached 21,592 people, including children and adolescents, in Piura with safe water.

  • UNICEF, Action Against Hunger, Plan International and COOPI have reached 17,780 people through hygiene promotion activities, including 10 information, education and communication campaigns and distribution of 2,676 hygiene kits.

  • To date, 2,113 children and adolescents have participated in childfriendly spaces in Catacaos and Cura Mori districts. Also, 1,788 children and adolescents have been screened by mobile mental health teams in the affected areas of Piura.

  • UNICEF has helped RENIEC (National Registry of Identification and Civil Status) to perform 255 identity registration campaigns in Piura. To date, 23,746 people, including 14,576 children and adolescents, have been registered.

  • 1,800 basic school kits have been delivered across the Piura region.

  • 6 spaces created for school reinforcement have benefitted 1,199 students in Piura.

  • 19 temporary classrooms have been set up in the Catacaos and Cura Mori evacuation areas. Also, 6 existing classrooms have been recovered across the Piura region.

  • To date, UNICEF and Save the Children have reached 2,590 children and adolescents through the nutritional and health monitoring system throughout the Piura region.

  • 250 children are currently receiving Plumpy Nut in Piura. This intervention is being implemented by UNICEF, Action Against Hunger and Save The Children.

SITUATION OVERVIEW & HUMANITARIAN NEEDS (reporting 25 July to 29 August)

Between January and August 2017, 1,850,007 people were affected by the El Niño coastal phenomenon in 25 regions of Peru, with around 31% located in Piura and another 25% in La Libertad. Lambayeque and Ancash are also among the most severely affected regions. Based on figures from the National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) as of June 15, 602,917 children and adolescents have been affected or severely affected, including 65,490 children under two years of age.

Although the Government of Peru has established that the El Niño coastal phenomenon finished in May, the declaration of a state of emergency remains in force for the regions of Ancash, Cajamarca, La Libertad and Piura. INDECI also reports that 66,093 homes have collapsed or are uninhabitable, and more than 370,000 other homes have been affected. In addition, 354 schools have collapsed or are uninhabitable, with a further 3,266 affected, and 64 health facilities have collapsed or are uninhabitable.

People living in shelters is still the main concern. While the number of people living in shelters has been decreasing, it remains significant. According to official figures (4 August 2017), 13,101 people are living in shelters across the country, including an estimated 5,839 children. This population is distributed among 63 shelters located in four regions. The vast majority – around 80% of the affected population – are in Piura. Even though these are official figures, the situation changes constantly. Parts of the population are moving from the shelters to the location of their destroyed homes, with the hope that the government will give them ownership of the land they now occupy in tents and camps.

The humanitarian aid needs of families remaining in affected areas have been underestimated. Many families are not considered victims, but have also suffered and do not have enough income because there are barriers to employment. Food insecurity has increased in the affected areas and families face inadequate environmental health conditions that expose them to endemic diseases (dengue and leptospirosis, among others).

There is uncertainty among the population in the affected areas due to a lack of information. No information is available on which areas will be declared as high or very high risk of disaster, which could allow rapid access to temporary housing.

Even though the Government of Peru has prioritized the rebuilding and rehabilitation of roads, schools and health facilities, this process is progressing slowly, with the assessment and identification of damage still in progress. On the other hand, the government is designing an integral plan to provide housing and basic services to families living in shelters. However, these families currently do not have a concrete solution from the government to enable them to leave the shelters and return to their normal lives.

Even though the Ministry of Health (MINSA) is conducting many activities to prevent dengue and Zika transmission, the number of cases of dengue is much greater than reported in previous years for the same time period. MINSA has reported 71,517 cases of dengue and 65 confirmed deaths attributable to the disease nationwide as of 19 August. Piura has the highest number of dengue cases with 35,578 probable and 11,373 confirmed. Piura is followed by La Libertad with 2,496 probable and 4,323 confirmed cases; Tumbes with 3,764 probable and 588 confirmed cases; and Ica with 2,705 probable and 1,643 confirmed cases.

Although the government, humanitarian organizations and local NGOs are working to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to people in shelters, coordination and supervision need to be further strengthened to ensure appropriate support to operations and maintenance of provisional water systems and latrines. Difficulties remain in access to education from shelters; one of the factors is that families lack resources to send their children to school.