VZCZCXRO4966
PP RUEHRN
DE RUEHPE #2850/01 2322148
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202148Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6581
INFO RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 1942
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4983
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7533
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3057
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 4459
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1399
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1436
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0693
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 1763
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 9268
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0513
RUEHRN/US MISSION UN ROME
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0145
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 LIMA 002850 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE/WHA FOR WHA/AND, BTHOMAS 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
USAID/W FOR A/AID HFORE 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS, GGOTTLIEB 
AID/W for DCHA/OFDA 
DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, AFERRARA, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, SBISWAS 
DCHA/FFP WHAMMINK 
USAID/LAC FOR AA/LAC, LAC/SA, MKARBELING 
SAN JOSE FOR TCALLAGHAN 
NSC for TSHORTLEY, PMARCHAM 
BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER 
GENEVA FOR NYKYLOH 
NEW YORK FOR TMALY 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON ETRD SENV ENRG USTR PE XM XR
 
SUBJECT: PERU - EARTHQUAKE: SITUATION REPORT #1 
 
REF: LIMA 2806 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  As of August 19, the death toll in Peru from the 
August 15 earthquake, which occurred at 1840 hours local time, is 
521 people.  Following the August 16 U.S. Ambassador's disaster 
declaration for the earthquake in Peru and within 16 hours of the 
earthquake, the U.S. Embassy in Lima deployed a team that included 
representatives from the Department of State, USAID/Peru, USAID's 
Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), and the 
Department of Defense (DOD)'s Military Assistance Advisory Group 
(MAAG).  In total, more than 50 USG personnel have been in the 
affected areas, conducting assessments, coordinating with the 
Government of Peru (GOP), providing emergency medical treatment and 
relief supplies, and assisting American citizens.  USAID/OFDA has 
provided USD 300,000 through USAID/Peru for emergency relief 
supplies and has airlifted other relief commodities.  To assist 
USAID/Peru in responding to the crisis, USAID/OFDA has deployed a 
six-person team to assess impact, identify needs, and deliver 
emergency assistance.  DOD, through U.S. Southern Command 
(SOUTHCOM), is providing technical and financial assistance, 
particularly in the health sector.  To date, total USG assistance 
from USAID and DOD is more than USD 1 million. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The main challenges to the current humanitarian response 
is the GOP's National Civil Defense Institute's (INDECI) weak 
information management and coordination in the receipt and delivery 
of relief supplies.  In addition, limited information on numbers of 
affected persons, needs, and houses destroyed has led to a possible 
overestimation of damage and displacement.  According to the USAID 
team, ongoing assessments will help refine these numbers.  Despite 
these challenges, humanitarian assistance is reaching affected 
populations.  Senior GOP officials, and in particular President Alan 
Garcia and his Ministers who are working round-the-clock in the 
affected region with municipal mayors and regional presidents, are 
seeking to address problems and working somewhat more efficiently 
with international donors, civil society groups, and the private 
sector.  End summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Current Situation in Affected Areas 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) INDECI reports that as of August 19, the earthquake killed 
521 in the districts of Pisco, Ica, Chincha, Canete and surrounding 
rural areas.  The number of affected people remains unclear, with 
estimates still ranging between 100,000 to 200,000, which would 
include families who may not have lost their houses but will require 
food and water assistance.  (Note:  USAID's ongoing assessment of 
Pisco, Ica, Chincha, and Canete will provide more precise estimates 
of impact and affected population.  End note.) 
 
¶4.  (U) The port city of Pisco is the most affected, with an 
estimated 85 percent of housing structures and buildings in the 
downtown area destroyed, according to INDECI.  Most of the destroyed 
houses were made of adobe bricks, a common building material for 
that area particularly for older houses.  The earthquake also 
 
LIMA 00002850  002 OF 005 
 
 
damaged the water, sewer, electricity, and garbage collection 
systems.  Pisco does not have electricity, water, and communications 
services, although the downtown plaza, which is the hub of relief 
operations, now has electricity.  Transportation within the city has 
been cut off to remove debris, rubble, and hanging wires. 
 
¶5.  (U) The USAID assessment team reported that an estimated 40 
percent of Ica's downtown area was damaged or destroyed, 
particularly affecting poor neighborhoods and adobe houses.  Ica now 
has water and electricity services; however, communications are 
down.  According to the USAID team, Chincha and Canete are not 
receiving relief supplies to the same level as Ica and Pisco, which 
were more severely damaged.  (Note:  The USAID assessment team will 
visit Chincha and Canete on August 20.  End note.)  The earthquake 
also affected provinces in Huancavelica, Ayacucho, and Junin 
regions. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Challenges to the Humanitarian Response 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The main challenge to the current humanitarian response is 
INDECI's weak information management and coordination of the receipt 
and delivery of relief supplies.  This situation is affecting the 
distribution of relief items that is coordinated with regional and 
municipal governments.  At an August 18 coordination meeting with 
the humanitarian community, the GOP recognized that while relief 
supplies are available, the distribution system is slower than 
needed.  The GOP requested assistance from the humanitarian 
community in the logistics, information management, and coordination 
sectors.  INDECI had been collecting relief supplies in warehouses 
at the Peruvian Air Force base in Pisco and asking municipal and 
village mayors to ensure distribution to their populations.    A 
main challenge has been that mayors did not have sufficient 
transportation resources or capacity to deliver goods efficiently in 
the initial hours and days.  On August 18, the GOP established 13 
distribution centers, or "albergues", in the affected districts open 
to the public.  Affected residents will be able to receive relief 
items, including water, food, medicines, and shelter supplies, 
directly from these centers.  Mayors are requesting that residents 
register in order to receive needed supplies.  The U.N. has deployed 
a U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to provide 
communication, information management, and logistics support to 
INDECI.  In addition, Peruvian companies, including Microsoft Peru, 
are donating logistical technical assistance and resources to the 
GOP, according to local media reports. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Limited information on exact numbers of affected persons, 
needs, and assistance distributed to date is also complicating the 
ongoing response.  As a result, identifying unmet needs and gaps has 
proven to be challenging.  (Note:  The USAID assessment team is 
working in coordination with INDECI and different ministries to 
identify gaps and medium-term needs.  End note.)  The U.N. is 
working with the GOP and INDECI to establish an emergency operations 
center in Lima and in the field to serve as the coordination hub for 
information and logistics.  (Note:  USAID/OFDA has supported this 
effort by airlifting from Miami, Florida, an office support module 
for the UNDAC team, which includes all the necessary equipment to 
 
LIMA 00002850  003 OF 005 
 
 
set up an office in the field, such as workstations, generators, 
tents, and office supplies.  End note.)  The goal is for the center 
to begin organizing humanitarian assistance by sector, e.g. health, 
shelter, water and sanitation, infrastructure, etc. 
 
--------------- 
Road Conditions 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) While damage to main highways and debris on roads continues 
to delay transportation of relief items and access to affected 
areas, the Ministry of Transport, with collaboration from the 
Peruvian military and private Peruvian companies, is clearing the 
two main highways linking Lima and the affected cities.  Transit 
time from Lima to Pisco has been cut from eight hours to 
approximately five hours, according to U.S. Embassy assessment 
teams.  Chincha is now accessible from Lima in less than three 
hours.  More importantly, roads within Ica Region are also being 
cleared, in particular the Ica-Pisco-Chincha road.  Bottlenecks on 
the main highways remain due to the heavy traffic of relief supplies 
into the region and the outflow of residents leaving the area to 
stay with relatives in Lima and elsewhere.  Given current road 
conditions, relief items are flown to the Peruvian Air Force base in 
Pisco.  Planes carrying relief supplies are arriving from Lima and 
other donor countries, including Colombia and Venezuela.  USG relief 
assistance to Pisco and Ica will continue to be airlifted depending 
on road conditions, while relief items to Chincha and Canete will 
most likely take place by road from Lima. 
 
-------- 
Security 
-------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Reports of assaults on vehicles transporting relief supplies 
along the main highways and looting in some of the affected cities, 
particularly on August 17, raised concerns about the potential 
impact to relief operations.  In response, the GOP has augmented 
police presence at critical locations on highways, especially at 
night.  In addition, on August 18, the GOP's Ministry of Defense 
deployed 1,000 troops to affected cities to guarantee peace and 
security, according to local media reports.  The USAID/OFDA 
assessment team reports that insecurity has not disrupted relief 
efforts to date and has begun to subside. 
 
------------ 
GOP Response 
------------ 
 
¶10.  (U) The GOP has converted the Peruvian Air Force base in Pisco 
into the operations center for coordination of the relief efforts, 
including receipt and delivery of relief items. President Garcia and 
GOP ministers have been using the base as an office since August 16. 
 From INDECI's operations center in this base, municipal mayors and 
regional presidents hold daily meetings with the President and GOP 
ministers.  During these meetings, the GOP discusses needs, 
distribution process, and medium-term requirements.  Peruvian 
National Police and Military units also report on the situation to 
the President on this site. 
 
LIMA 00002850  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
¶11.  (U) The USAID team confirms that the GOP priority requests are 
water, shelter, blankets, and food, as well as heavy lifting 
equipment debris removal.  Looking ahead, the GOP has already 
started a cash-for-work program through which residents are paid 14 
soles per day (the equivalent of USD 4.50) for debris removal. 
 
¶12.  (U) INDECI and Peruvian firefighters have expressed great 
appreciation for USAID/OFDA and MAAG preparedness and 
capacity-building programs over the past few years.  A Peruvian 
firefighter told the USAID team on the ground: "Somos hijos de OFDA 
y MAAG."  (We are the children of OFDA and MAAG.)  INDECI and Urban 
Search and Rescue (USAR) teams also expressed similar feelings to 
the team. 
 
¶13.  (U) The response from Peruvian citizens and the private sector 
has been overwhelming.  To date, Peruvian companies, municipalities, 
and private citizens have made significant monetary and goods 
donations for relief efforts.  Peruvian private sector companies, 
including banks, mines, oil and gas, and exporting associations, 
have sent relief items and provided heavy machinery to lift and 
remove debris. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Ongoing USG Actions and Response 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  (U) To coordinate the USG response to the disaster, a regional 
advisor from the USAID/OFDA Regional Office for Latin America and 
the Caribbean (LAC) in San Jose, Costa Rica, deployed to Peru on 
August 16 to augment the ongoing risk and disaster mitigation 
efforts of three USAID/OFDA/LAC consultants already in-country.  As 
of August 18, a six-person USAID/OFDA team, comprising the regional 
advisor, four LAC consultants, and an information officer, is in 
Peru.  In collaboration with USAID/Peru, the U.S. embassy, and MAAG, 
the team is assessing damages, identifying needs, delivering 
emergency assistance, and coordinating with the GOP. 
 
¶15.  (U) On August 16, U.S. Ambassador McKinley declared a disaster 
due to the earthquake in Peru.  In response, USAID/OFDA provided USD 
100,000 through USAID/Peru for the Peruvian Red Cross to purchase 
relief commodities, including 1,000 blankets, 2,000 jerry cans, 450 
tents, and plastic sheeting.  To date, the Peruvian Red Cross has 
distributed 525 blankets and 180 jerrycans in Paracas, 450 blankets 
and 75 tents in San Andres, and 500 blankets and 50 tents in Los 
Molinos, Pisco District.  In addition, 3,000 blankets, 500 
jerrycans, and 60 tents were distributed in Los Molinos, Ica 
District. 
 
¶16.  (U) Based on other identified needs, USAID/OFDA is providing an 
additional USD 200,000 through USAID/Peru for humanitarian 
activities.  On August 19, USAID/OFDA airlifted relief commodities 
from the USAID/OFDA warehouse in Miami, Florida, including four 
10,000-liter water bladders; 7,800 10-liter water containers; and 
500 body bags.  This airlift also includes an office support module 
for UNDAC team, which includes all the necessary equipment to set up 
an office in the field, such as workstations, generators, tents, and 
office supplies.  The total value of all the commodities including 
 
LIMA 00002850  005 OF 005 
 
 
transport is more than USD 290,000. 
 
¶17.  (U) To date, the Department of Defense (DOD) has provided 
approximately USD 410,000 in technical and financial assistance. 
DOD plans to allocate USD 1 million to cover the costs of military 
assistance to the overall USG response.  Technical and financial 
assistance to date includes: 
 
A) A U.S. medical team of 8 doctors and 10 medical students from the 
Naval Medical Research Center Detachment (NMRCD), which was already 
on the ground on a training mission and was immediately mobilized to 
the affected areas, conducted assessments in conjunction with 
USAID/Peru staff.  NMRCD has established a portable laboratory for 
two weeks at the hospital in Pisco to monitor infections. 
 
B) A 27-member Field Surgical Team (FST), including a general 
surgeon, anesthesiologist, general practitioners, nurses, and 
medical technicians, arrived in Peru on August 17 and 18 from the 
Joint Task Force-Bravo in Honduras.  The FST treated 250 patients 
and conducted 3 surgeries in Pisco on August 18, its first day of 
operations. 
 
C)  A 13-person Medical Readiness Exercise Team (MEDRETE) from U.S. 
Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is traveling to Ica on August 19 to 
provide general medical services, in coordination with the Ministry 
of Health.  The MEDRETE team is bringing medical supplies valued at 
USD 65,000. 
 
D)  Two C-130 DOD planes airlifted a surgical operating room package 
and medical supplies valued at more than USD 28,000 on August 18. 
Transportation for these airlifts cost USD 240,000.  Beginning 
August 19, one C-130 plane will remain in Peru to transport relief 
supplies in-country, at a cost of USD 25,000 per day.  In addition, 
the C-130 has transported residents wanting to leave the affected 
area. 
 
E)  DOD has contributed USD 50,000 through NMRCD for the local 
procurement of medical and other relief supplies. 
 
¶18.  (U) The Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) has provided 3,000 
tents and food to the Peruvian Military and the Police during their 
deployment to the affected areas. 
MCKINLEY