Peru Quake: Peru makes a formal appeal for the UNDAC deployment

The UNDAC team is being deployed after approval was formally made and approved by the Prime Minister of Peru. The UNDAC mission to Peru's quake affected areas is being lead by Joe Bishop of UK ( Gibraltar) who most responders in the Americas region know well while the Americas regional IT Support Module is from Fairfax County in the US and TSF has been requested to support the UNDAC team in terms of communications. Gerard Gomes, the head of OCHA's Regional Office in Panama arrived in Lima last night to assist in the coordination of relief efforts where the Government of Pery have made an urgent request for aid such as shelter, tools and medicine supplies.

Information recieved from the TSF team in-country on telecoms indicated that the mobile network is working in most affected areas, though not completely. Major energy problems exist for recharging mobile phones and there are no landlines working in affected areas, nor internet. Only mobile/satellite commmuications is possible and this has been impeded by the inability to re-charge batteries, however in Lima, landlines, mobiles and the internet is working. TSF has stated that another comprehensive update will follow shortly and we will be blogging it as we get it.



Source: OCHA situational reports/TSF field team