As Peruvian Quake Relief Efforts Continue, UN Food Agency Seeks Urgent Funds
 
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:01:24 -0400

New York, Aug 22 2007  4:00PM
 
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed to donors 
to urgently and generously fund its $6.1 million operation 
to provide food aid to 80,000 people worst affected by last week's 

The powerful quake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and struck 
161 kilometres south of the capital, Lima, resulted in the 
death of over 500 people and injured more than 1,000 others.

<http://www.wfp.org/english/>WFP has so far provided over 500 metric 
tons of mainly ready-to-eat food to the worst affected, including 
nine tons of high protein biscuits airlifted from the agency's 
sub-regional emergency logistics hub in neighbouring Ecuador. 

The agency's efforts will focus particularly on children aged six 
to 24 months, women and other high-risks groups such as the elderly. 
It will also support reconstruction activity through food-for-work 

"For us to be successful, we will have to count on the full support 
of the international community and we appeal to donors to respond 
as quickly as possible," said WFP Country Director Guy Gauvreau. 


About $2 million of the funds requested will come from the UN <http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf>Central 
Emergency 
Response Fund (CERF) -- the landmark fund established 
by the world body in 2006 to speed up relief operations for 
humanitarian emergencies and make funds available quickly after 
a disaster, when people are most at risk.  WFP is hoping donors 
will provided the remainder.

"We are relying on donors' generosity. This crisis may quickly disappear 
from the front pages of the newspapers, but the tens of thousands 
of people affected by this catastrophe will live with the 
effects for many months to come," Mr. Gauvreau stated.

WFP also reports that some 300 aftershocks since the devastating 
quake have left 16,700 families homeless.  Those most gravely affected 
had been the poorest families, 

Major logistical problems involved damaged roads, huge traffic jams 
and the fact that people would not leave the rubble of their homes 
for fear of pillaging, the agency added.

In a related development, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing 
has stressed the urgent need for securing emergency accommodation 
for the homeless and access to drinking water for those affected 

In a <http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/2372484B3FDE0590C125733E00511390?OpenDocument>statement 
issued yesterday 
in Geneva, Miloon Kothari also said he hoped the tragedy in 
Peru will ensure the implementation of safe housing standards worldwide, 
which can "ensure that the loss of life, human suffering 
and homelessness resulting from natural disasters are minimized in 
the future." 

 2007-08-22 00:00:00.000 


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