Vatican City, 21 August 2007 – The Caritas Confederation has launched an appeal worth over $US 11 million to help victims of last week's earthquake in Peru that levelled the coastal town of Pisco and killed over 500 people. More than 1500 people were injured.

The quake, which hit Wednesday 15 August, measured 8.0 on the Richter scale. More than 100,000 people have been left homeless, as more than 34,000 homes were destroyed.

"The situation is still quite difficult for survivors," said the Secretary General of Caritas Peru, Jorge LaFosse. "We're still getting strong aftershocks, so it makes the work quite nerve-wracking and difficult to carry out."

Caritas Peru, with support from the Caritas Confederation, is currently assisting more than 10,000 families (50,000 people) by providing food, clean water, clothing, bedding, medicine and other basic necessities. Caritas also plans to distribute materials for building temporary shelters.

Caritas delivered 5 trucks yesterday with another 50 tons of humanitarian aid to the affected areas. So far, Caritas has distributed 215 tons of aid in all.

Caritas is also planning on reconstructing numerous schools so that children can get back to their classes as early as possible.

Mr LaFosse signalled that the scale of the emergency is much graver than is generally being reported.

"Caritas will be increasing the original appeal in the next week to ten days, since we expect the cost of reconstruction will far surpass the amount we initially estimated," Mr. LaFosse said.

The President of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, sent a message of solidarity to Peruvians.

"I would like to send a message of solidarity to you, our Peruvian brothers and sisters, and I would like to call upon the generosity of all the members of the Caritas Confederation to ensure that Caritas Peru receives the necessary resources to help those who are suffering most in that country. My prayers are with all the Peruvian people in this period of recovery after living through the earthquake," the Cardinal said.

The earthquake destroyed some 85% of Pisco. Caritas has already set up its main centres of operations in Pisco, Cañete, Ica and Chinca, where hundreds of volunteers are helping with aid distributions and other activities. The Caritas of Cañete, about 180 km south of Lima, is working hand-in-hand with the surrounding parishes and Catholic Church institutions to funnel aid from other areas of the country to those hit by the earthquake.

One volunteer, 68-year-old Naim Benavente, said, "We want to be close to those people who most need our help, especially in difficult times."

Caritas Peru has in the past responded to major earthquakes in Moyobamba in 1991, in Ica in 1996 and in 2001 in the regions of Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna.

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in over 200 countries and territories.

Nancy McNally, media officer
Tel: +39 06 69879752
Mobile: +39 334 2344 136
mcnally@caritas.va
www.caritas.org

Karla Liliana Auza Valdivia
Communications, Cáritas del Perú
Tel: +51 1 6135200 ext. 130 Email:  karla.auza@caritas.org.pe