The United Nations and its humanitarian partners on Tuesday appealed for $37 million to provide more than 200,000 people with food, water, medical assistance, tents, and blankets for a period of six months following the deadly earthquake that struck southern Peru almost two weeks ago. The powerful earthquake which hit 160 kilometers south of Lima has resulted in the death of over 500 people and injured more than 1,000 others, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Preliminary U.N. assessments indicate that over 37,000 houses and four hospitals were destroyed, while 16 hospitals were damaged. An allocation of $9.6 million from the U.N. Central emergency Response Fund (CERF) had already been approved for immediate assistance in shelter and camp management, food supply, water and sanitation, health, education, and emergency employment. The appeal launched Tuesday is based on the latest assessments from U.N. missions deployed to the affected areas and reports from official sources, which indicated that more than 200,000 people required life-saving assistance and 56,000 families were homeless.
