21 August 2007

Salvation Army relief teams continue to bring urgently needed help to the town of Pisco, following the recent earthquake which devastated the region. According to preliminary figures, provided by Peruvian firefighters, the strong earthquake on Wednesday 15 August has affected 85,000 people, leaving at least 510 dead and 1,500 injured . Commenting on the statistics, The President of the Peruvian Congress, Luis Gonzales Posada, has said that the figure of more than 500 dead could increase because of the seriousness of some the injuries. The National Institute of Civil Defence (Indeci) has also reported 16,669 homes destroyed in the regions of Ica, Lima, Junin, and Huancavelica.

Salvation Army relief teams in Peru have been bringing provisions in from Lima, where collection points have been set up in tents in strategic locations in the city to receive donations from the public. Divisional Commander, Major Alex Nesterenko reports, ' We are now serving 3,000 people per day. 4,000 blankets have been distributed, 600 mattresses, 2,000 tonnes of water, 400 plastic buckets, and 29,867 rations of food have been served. The government has asked us if we can increase our response activities still further, so we are opening three more distribution centres, which will serve up to 6,000 victims.

'We have 40 volunteers who are working shifts every day, 20 hours per day. Our volunteers are providing spiritual support, consoling the families who have lost loved ones, and helping to move the bodies. This is having a tremendous impact on their own lives. Whole families have disappeared. The government has identified 350 bodies, but the numbers of unidentified are still not known, and could bring the death toll to more than 1,000. The search is still in effect for missing people. Just to walk in the streets in the centre of Pisco is to feel the sadness and pain of a people who have been devastated by this earthquake.

'In meetings with the authorities and other international organizations on Sunday 19 August, we can already see evidence of much better coordination and networking, with agencies working together to plan distribution of assistance, and places in which to serve the needs of the people.

'It is notable, however, that 85% of the city of Pisco is in ruins. There are still problems with water, electricity, etc., although this is improving slowly with the delivery of water in containers, since the city water system has collapsed and the water supply is polluted with sewage'.

A team from Relief International, led by Dr. Herberg Sigmond, MD (Emergency Relief Team), together with two other physicians, will be joining The Salvation Army’s team to provide medical assistance. Two experienced relief personnel from International Headquarters are en route to provide support and assistance to the local Salvation Army team: Major Cedric Hills (International Emergency Services Coordinator) and Captain Chris Mulryne (UK) will be helping local relief teams design plans to assist with the shelter reconstruction response.

Lieutenant Colonel Susan McMillan, Chief Secretary of the South America West Territory says, 'Captains Carlos Aguilar and Rodrigo Vidaurre are in charge of the extension and coordination of the Feeding and Distribution Centres in Ica and Chincha, and Major Ricardo Montoya, together with Captain Giovanny Pumallaya, will continue to coordinate in the city of Pisco. In this way we are able to increase our services to those who are still in desperate situations after having lost so much. There is still tremendous need for food and medicine. Thanks to the help of INDECI (National Civil Defence Institute), we have been able to improve and increase our assistance in food and distribution of needed items, as well as in administering refuges for the victims. The commander of the INDECI made special mention of the labours of The Salvation Army, as we were the first to arrive and provide the victims with their first necessities in the city of Pisco, on Wednesday 15 August [the day of the earthquake] in the middle of the night and early Thursday morning.

'We are extremely grateful for the generous support already received from our colleagues around the world. The problems here are huge and there is so much for us to do'.

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