Christian Aid is sending £50,000 to local organisations in Ica, one of the regions most badly affected by the 8.0 magnitude quake which struck off the coast of Peru on 15 August, claiming 500 lives and leaving thousands homeless.

Local Peruvian organisations supported by Christian Aid have been co-ordinating their relief effort after taking stock of the material damage and identifying the urgent needs of the survivors.

Health Houses, Fepromu and Codehica have jointly produced an action plan to support the work of the Peruvian government.

'At times like these you see the heroic, beautiful things people are capable of.' Father Jose Manuel of Health Houses said: 'At times like these you see the heroic, beautiful things people are capable of.'

He was referring to rescuers searching through the rubble who found a 10-year-old injured girl. She was covering her little sister with her body so she wouldn't get hurt.

Because nearly everyone's home was destroyed in the poorest areas, people need straw mats, plastic sheets and blankets. It gets so cold at night people cannot sleep in the open air.

'We're also planning to distribute saucepans, utensils, tools, spades, pick axes and wheelbarrows as well as food stuffs to go with the government hand outs," added Father Manuel.

People have an amazing ability to cope, he added. 'The life of the people here is a difficult one, a hard life with lots of adversities, all the time struggling and fighting against things that the rest of us are not used to.'