Peru’s government has declared an emergency in 16 of the country’s 24 departments on Friday as a result of a cold wave, with an emphasis on areas located at least 3,000 meters above sea level, state news agency Andina reported.
Peru’s minister of Women, Nidia Vilchez, said the emergency was for Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cuzco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Junin, Moquegua, Pasco, Puno, Lima and Tacna as well as the three departments in Peru’s jungle region, Madre de Dios, Ucayali and Loreto.
In Lima, the declaration is for Villa Maria del Triunfo, Villa El Salvador, Pachacamac, Lurin, Ate, Lurigancho, San Juan de Lurigancho, Comas, Carabayllo and San Juan de Miraflores, as well as Ventanilla in the port city of Callao.
Vilchez said that food will be provided to the departments through the national program for food assistance Pronaa and that health personnel will provide services focusing on children under 5 years old and adults older than 60 years.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Oscar Ugarte said they have begun a campaign to provide vaccinations for pneumonia in eight Lima districts. Some 400 health professionals will be involved in the campaign and about 50,000 vaccinations will be provided.
Temperatures in Lima fell to 8.8C degrees on Wednesday, the lowest in more than 40 years.
In Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios region located in Peru’s Amazon jungle, temperatures were 9C degrees, in Ica province temperatures dipped to 3.6C degrees, in Puno they reached -23C degrees and in the southern Tacna department they were reported at -24C degrees.
