Cabinet Chief Javier Velásquez said the United Nations has agreed to provide support to Peru for the design of a national strategy to minimize the effects of a major tsunami or earthquake.
According to state news agency Andina, the support will be provided by the UN’s International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
Velásquez said the ISDR will provide technical support to the Peruvian government to develop a prevention plan as well as a strategy on how to react following a tsunami or quake.
He added that the UN body is currently working with Peru’s National Civil Defense Institution, or Indeci, on a prevention plan in Lima and Callao. The European Union has provided 2 million euros, about $2.7 million, to finance that project.
Peru’s last major earthquake was in August 2007 when a magnitude-8 quake struck southern Peru. In Pisco, the quake destroyed three-quarters of the city center, killed approximately 500 people and left thousands more homeless. According to official figures, some 40,000 homes were destroyed.
Peru’s government was recently criticized for failing to purchase a tsunami alert system requested by the Peru’s Geophysical Institute (IGP) after that quake. Cabinet Chief Javier Velásquez said in early March the executive would authorize the transfer of 3 million soles, about $1.1 million, to the IGP to purchase the system.
