Peru: State of Emergency in 131 Districts, El Niño Phenomenon

On Sunday, the Peruvian government proclaimed a state of emergency for a period of 60 days across 131 districts in response to the potential arrival of the El Niño phenomenon, deemed as an "imminent danger". “El Niño” is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

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According to a decree published in the official gazette "El Peruano", the districts are within nine departments inclusive of Apurimac, Cusco, Junin, and Puno.

The decree states that regional authorities, in conjunction with the National Civil Defense Institute (Indeci), the Ministry of Health, and other relevant entities, must undertake emergency missions and response and rehabilitation operations.

The decree also says that this situation “demands the adoption of urgent measures.”

According to the decree, strategies “must have a direct causal link between the interventions and the event and may be modified according to the needs and security elements that arise during their execution, supported by the technical studies of the competent entities.”

as per the a report released by Indeci, the governmental bodies governing the nine departments "do not have the response capacity" to effectively address the anticipated challenges resultant from the El Niño phenomenon. Consequently, making “national-level assistance necessary”.

The environmental organization GRID-Arendal has said that El Niño events usually produce heavy rainfall at low altitudes on the Pacific slope of the Andes, while areas above 2,000 meters receive less rain and experience higher temperatures than under normal conditions, explains.