To construct temporary shelters, workers used heavy beige canvas, eucalyptus poles and heavy plastic roofing material. Photo Credit: Nathan Golon for Mercy Corps

On August 15th an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit the southwest coast of Peru. Nearly 80,000 individuals were directly affected by this disaster many from low income families and marginalized communities. Mercy Corps, a humanitarian aid organization working in over 35 countries, responded shortly after the disaster. Working with a local organization called Partners of the Americas, Brian Atkinson, Program Officer for Latin America, shares his experience responding to the disaster in Peru as well as what Mercy Corps is doing about disaster mitigation.

Q: How did Mercy Corps approach going into Peru without already having a field office there?

Brian Atkinson: The first step was to do an initial assessment. We started by working with local organizations who were on the ground assessing the situation to decide what kind of materials for emergency shelter and food were needed, as well as water purification tablets, antibiotics, and other basic items. With the gravity of the disaster we ended up sending our Director of Health, Carlos Cardenas, who is Peruvian, to do an assessment. He helped identify local organizations as points of contact to assist with water purification needs as well as search and rescue.

Q: When did you go down to Peru and what did you do?

Since many homes are constructed with adobe, they crumbled from the earthquake, causing thousands of people to be displaced.

I went almost two weeks after the earthquake to support Carlos and to take over our relief efforts after he left. Initially I was on the ground to help coordinate the distribution of emergency food packs to quake-affected communities. Students at the American School in Lima assisted with assembling the food packs, which we delivered to about 900 families between Chincha, and Hoja Redonda, 2 of the worst hit areas by the quake. Afterwards, I stayed on with local organizations to do assessments from which we found that the next greatest need was temporary housing. Since many homes are constructed with adobe, they crumbled from the earthquake, causing thousands of people to be displaced. With the help of Soluciones Practicas, a colleague development organization, we were able to provide emergency shelter assistance to over 200 families.

Q: What currently is being done to help the families affected by the earthquake?

We have provided supplies such as heavy canvas, poles and heavy plastic roofing material to build temporary shelters. In the coming months we will be working with Soluciones Practicas for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged schools. Employees from Intel as well as members of the Disaster Resource Network are funding these efforts. Mercy Corps is also providing psychosocial support to children affected by the quake using a program developed for post 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina called "Comfort for Kids". And we're also working on a new pilot project supported by Nike to provide psychosocial support through sports.

Q: What steps are being taken to mitigate disasters of this scale in the future?

After any disaster we look to work with local partners and people that have a good reputation and plenty of experience. In Peru, for instance, we chose to work with organizations that build with materials and with practices that are seismic resistant to avoid building damage and injuries in the future. We always concentrate on disaster risk reduction in the reconstruction process. The problem is that the poorest populations are often hit the hardest in these situations. They are already more vulnerable due to their lack of resources. Many don't own land or can only afford it in high disaster risk areas, while many others end up squatting. As a result, Mercy Corps works to mobilize community members and organizations to engage them with local government and the private sector to push them to invest in disaster risk reduction and to assist marginalized neighborhoods as well as give them a voice during the post-disaster reconstruction phase.

Q: Do you have examples of disaster mitigation in any other Latin American countries?

We always concentrate on disaster risk reduction in the reconstruction process.

In Solola near lake Atitlan, Guatemala we have worked with post-disaster reconstruction and risk reduction with community members, leaders and local government. We have worked to relocate vulnerable families, provide basic sanitation and form local disaster response committees and warning systems with local officials to lessen the risks during a large scale disaster.

Now that emergency response has ended in the marginalized areas of Peru, Mercy Corps is working with projects that provide reconstruction support for schools, and to help mobilize communities and provide psychosocial support . This includes school reconstruction with community participation using anti-seismic designs and materials. Once the schools are re-built Mercy Corps and its local partner, Solucciones Practicas, will provide basic school supplies and other support to children affected by the quake. Special emphasis will be put on supporting vulnerable community members to work together for the reconstruction of their communities and to learn about disaster mitigation.




Contributed by Cami Martin, a writer for Global Envision. Cami has a BA in English from the University of Oregon and works for MercyCorps.

To read another Global Envision article about disaster risk reduction and emergencies, see Reducing the Risk of Disaster.



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