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The Government of Peru requested WFP to provide

expertise in logistics and food security and to assist

local authorities in implementing a coordinated and

effective logistics and food security response to the

disaster.

While the Government of Peru has rapidly mobilized

resources and is responding to the needs of the

affected population, as with any large scale sudden

onset emergency, a number of bottlenecks are

constraining that response. These include particular

issues related to: i) the supply chain of the food based

response including planning, procurement,

transportation, storage and distribution, and ii)

coordination at and between the national and local

level. These are all hampering a timely and

appropriate food assistance to the affected population

during the first weeks of the response.

On 09 April, the Humanitarian Country Team launched

a Flash Appeal to fund international support to the

national response for USD 38.3 million to support

320,000 people in Peru's North Coast.

WFP response

WFP has launched a Special Operation (SO) to provide

logistics and programmatic expertise to assist the

Government of Peru.

The Food Security and Emergencies Task Force, under

the leadership of INDECI and WFP, is coordinating the

response between Government, UN, NGOs and other

stakeholders.

In Numbers

106 people died

18 people missing

159,283 people lost their homes

and/or livelihoods

1.14 million people affected by the

flooding and landslides

Situation Update

More than 1.14 million people have been affected by

the flooding and landslides across Peru, along with

the livelihoods of 180,000 households. Twelve

departments and one province remain in a state of

emergency. In Piura Department, the hardest hit

area of the country, 318,871 people or 28 percent

the total population, has been affected by the

floods.

The crisis has led to alarming food insecurity among

the affected population. A WFP-led Rapid Food

Security Assessment conducted in Piura, La Libertad

and Lambayeque indicated that 59 percent of

households are food insecure, of which 9 percent

face severe food insecurity. Around one third of the

affected families are relying on crisis and emergency

coping strategies that further compromise their food

security and threaten their livelihood systems.

Highlights On 15 March 2017, rains on the coast of Peru unleashed a series of natural events affecting large parts of the population, and leading to a declaration of a state of emergency in twelve regions. The United Nations has launched a Flash Appeal valued at US$38 million. The Prime Minister, through the Ministry of Defence and the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN), is leading the immediate humanitarian response in coordination with all sectors and the National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI).

April 12, 2017

WFP Peru

Provision of logistics and programmatic expertise in support of the flood response of the Government of

Peru

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The response is aimed at ensuring lifesaving

assistance by reducing the time and cost of

providing food assistance by different actors. WFP

teams deployed at the onset of the emergency and

working through government structures are

focused on reducing bottlenecks. These teams are

comprised of emergency food security and logistics

experts / specialists in: i) needs assessment, ii)

identification of beneficiaries, iii) emergency

nutrition advice, and iv) logistics and v) planning,

distribution and monitoring of humanitarian aid

(food and non-food).

In the most affected regions, Piura, Lambayeque

and La Libertad, WFP is supporting the Local

Emergency Operations Center (COER) to

determine the composition of the relief food

basket, analyse needs, manage information,

prioritize actions and unblock supply chain

bottlenecks.

In Piura and Lambayeque, WFP has set up a Mobile

Storage Unit (MSU) with a capacity for up to 300

metric tons for humanitarian relief items. The MSU

are being run by the COER, with people trained by

WFP in food storage and handling.

WFP assisted regional authorities to distribute

government and private sector food and non-food

items to 17,000 affected people in La Libertad and

51,000 affected people in Piura between March 20

and April 10. WFP´s focus is directed to hard– to

reach-areas where 20 percent of the affected

people are yet to be assisted.

WFP is also providing direct support to COEN with

an embedded senior logistics advisor.

Partnerships

As per agreement with the Government of Peru,

the leadership and coordination of the response

rests with the Government. WFP will offer technical

assistance in areas where capacity gaps were

identified.

Why invest in this special operation? WFP’s

contribution to the government response by

transferring expertise in humanitarian supply chain

management will enable a more effective and

efficient response and lead to a wider impact on

the national response system.

This support serves also as an asset for the overall

UN system. Without this assistance and transfer of

expertise to government counterparts, continued

delays in and inadequate levels of assistance will

continue to undermine the affected population.

The SO will be implemented for a period of 3

months (27 March – 27 June), is valued at

US$279,818 and urgently needs donor support.

Contacts

Karin Schmitt, Head of Programme: karin.schmitt@wfp.org

Ramón Lohmar, Strategy Unit: ramon.lohmar@wfp.org

Photo credit:Emily Alvarez/CINU Lima

World Food Programme

Photo credit:UNFPA/Juan Pablo Casapia