Flooding in northern Peru

26 April

We are pleased to share that the heavy rains and floods affecting the north of Peru have subsided. Moderate rains have continued in the jungle and highlands.

Nationally, 170,000 people have lost their homes, the majority of whom are still living in temporary shelters. Most schools reopened at the end of March, except for those in Piura that won’t begin classes until 2 May.

In their latest report, Compassion Peru explains that a further three church partners have been affected, bringing the total number of impacted sponsored children to 5,922.

Our Partnership Facilitators for the area are working closely with church partners to support families and children in need.

• They have distributed emergency food and water supplies.
• 2,200 barrels of water have been given to families in Piura and Chiclayo as part of dengue prevention measures.
• Health specialists have carried out medical campaigns to help meet immediate health needs.
• Project staff have held three meetings with pastors and volunteers to discuss emotional recovery in the weeks and months after the disaster.
• In the upcoming weeks further supplies will be distributed, including beds and mosquito nets.

Please pray for the continued safety and health of everyone who has been affected, especially those who are still living in temporary housing.

7 april

According to the latest report, 98 of our church partners have been impacted and 2,012 Compassion-supported children have been affected with many losing homes or possessions. These children and their families are receiving food, mosquito nets, water, medicine, clothing and sheets of plastic to temporarily cover their homes. Water pumps have also been distributed to help facilitate the removal of water from homes and buildings. Compassion’s Peru office staff facilitated the transport of needed relief supplies by an Army helicopter to project PE-0583 which was unable to be reached because of damaged roads.

The majority of Peru church partners plan to resume their programmes this weekend, with the exception of the affected projects in Piura that will only partially operate until further notice.  They are providing lunch for the children, visiting homes, and evaluating infrastructure conditions.

30 March

Praise God the children from Pedregal Grande have been rescued and are now safe! Please continue to pray for Pedregal, their hometown, as more rain is forecast over the next few days.

Please also pray for our Partnership Facilitators who are working in the affected regions. Lift up Adrian and Miguel as they support our church partners. Pray for them to be given God’s strength and wisdom as they are finding the situation extremely challenging. 

Additionally, please pray for the areas of Pozo De Los Ramos and Monte Sullon which have been flooded over the last couple of days. Two of our church partners here have sustained damage to their facilities, but give thanks that all children and families were evacuated to safety. 

28 March

14 Compassion sponsored children and two tutors are currently trapped on rooftops in Pedregal Grande, Peru, because of devastating floodwaters. Please join us in praying that rescuers will reach them and bring them to safety.

Please also keep praying for the rains to stop – at the moment the forecast is for continued rainfall throughout April. 

The Compassion Health Specialist has travelled to Piura to vaccinate children and provide medicine to treat stomach diseases. RESPOND disaster funds are being used to purchase tents, pre-fabricated houses, roofing materials, food, water and medicines.

Please pray these supplies will quickly reach those in great need.

24 March 

More heavy rain is forecast over the next few days for the central, western, and north-western areas of Peru. Reports show incidences of skin and stomach infections are increasing and there are fears about an outbreak of dengue.

As of March 22, 2017 the national authorities have announced that the death toll has reached 79 people and more than 100,000 people are in need of assistance. National authorities also report that 31 education centres have been destroyed and 182 bridges have collapsed.    

Please continue to pray for all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods.

According to the latest report, 64 of our church partners have been impacted. 1,347 Compassion-assisted children have been affected, many losing homes or possessions. 

23 March

The heavy rains, flooding and mudslides have continued throughout Peru:

• On March 18 there was another mudslide in Cajamarquilla and Santa Eulalia (Lima) causing the river to overflow. Our church partners from this part of Lima report limited damage but they are currently cut off from all transportation links. 
• There is no electricity or water in many parts of the country. Churches, other organisations and the government are working to provide emergency supplies including food and water. They are also helping families clean the mud from their houses. 
• On March 19, there was another mudslide in Trujillo city – the sixth mudslide of the week. The whole city is flooded and all of our church partners are temporarily closed. The government is also supporting affected people in the Trujillo area through the air force and army.
• The Pativilca River has burst its banks, flooding houses and causing a bridge to collapse. Compassion projects in Barranca and Huacho are also temporarily closed. Project staff will carry out home visits as soon as the water level goes down. 

Please continue to pray for all those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods. According to the latest estimates, 72 people have lost their lives in the floods.

16 March

Since February, the areas of Piura and Chiclayo in northern Peru have experienced heavy rains and flooding. 

On March 14, the floods spread to the districts of Trujillo and Chimbote, and on the 15 March parts of Lima were affected when the Huaycoloro River burst its banks. The rains have also triggered mudslides in Chosica. 

The floods have caused significant damage – throughout the country it is estimated that 400,000 people have been affected and 88,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Please join us in praying for all those who have lost homes or livelihoods. 

36 of our partner churches have been impacted – the majority of families have lost belongings and suffered damage to their houses. Our Partnership Facilitators and project staff are working tirelessly to help families in need. The government is also providing assistance to families and helping clean out homes.

We’ll update this news feed as soon as more information becomes available.