The Rebuilding Has Just Started

One week has now passed since the magnitude 8.0 (measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale) earthquake rattled the southern coast of Peru. As aid groups struggle to deliver food, blankets, and water to the areas hardest hit - the people of Pisco, Ica, Canete and Mala continued to be blasted by aftershocks (over 300 tremors have affected the area in the last week). The latest was a 4.7 magnitude aftershock that sparked panic among people lining up to leave the town of Pisco by air or by bus on Monday, the day the rescue effort officially ended and bulldozers began removing mountains of rubble.

It has been reported that Peruvians are paying as much as $40 (USD) for a one-way bus ticket out of Pisco - a fare that normally costs $7 (USD). Price gouging, corruption, gang related fear and rampant violence - these are the REAL issues that are acutely pressing on the Garcia Administration; an administration that is under fire for there reported unorganized approach to aid distribution. A spokeswoman for the World Food Program, Christiane Berthiaume, says it is difficult to get aid to the survivors because roads are bad, traffic is heavy and a major bridge leading to the quake-hit city of Pisco is damaged. Nevertheless, she says more food and other aid is getting in and being distributed.

President Garcia announced the start of fumigation operations across the town of Pisco to head off diseases before they turn into possible epidemics, and more than 1,000 police and soldiers were deployed to halt the looting that has sown fear among the battered population. It has been reported that plans are in the works to provide temporary lodgings for the mostly poor families whose rudimentary adobe and brick homes had come crashing down. Permanent relocation efforts are being developed - but who knows where the money will come from to house the estimated 180,000 homeless people.

On a separate note of hope and a pure show of Andean solidarity - the Taiwan Times noted that Bolivian President Evo Morales and his vice president pledged half their salaries to the earthquake victims, while Cabinet ministers gave one-quarter of their wages. In addition, an Israeli delegation of physicians and health care professionals are on their way to Peru to provide medical and technical assistance to the people affected by the quake. Finally, a team from the Canadian Animal Assistance Team (CAAT) is sending 31 volunteer veterinarians and technicians to the country next week to treat Peruvians' wounded animal companions.

A generous outpouring of support and assistance has come from all around the globe. The true test of our commitment to help the people of Peru will be in 8-12 months when the aid agencies are long gone and the real work of community development is underway.

HBI's commitment is to build support for our in-country partners as they settle in for the "long haul" of community re-building and program development. You may make a donation to the work of HBI at http://www.hbint.org/ - all the funds will go to support the work of NGOs helping Peruvian citizens.

Thank you for your prayers and commitment to the people of Peru - the work of rebuilding has only just begun!