AmeriCares Relief Materials on Ground in Earthquake-Stricken Peru

AmeriCares Foundation
Monday, 25 June 2001

New Canaan, CT – (June 25, 2001) – AmeriCares, the international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, announced that over 24,000 pounds of medical relief materials have just cleared Customs in Peru and will be distributed momentarily.

Included in that 24,000 pounds of relief materials are antibiotics, analgesics, anti-hypertensive agents, cleaning supplies, relief sponges, nutritional supplements, as well as other medicines and medical supplies.

AmeriCares disaster relief expert, Celina de Sola, has been in constant contact with AmeriCares' local partners in Peru. They are working together to assess the damage and needs of the survivors. They are also in the process of creating a list of additional materials that will be needed for recovery efforts.

Peru was the center of Saturday's 7.9- magnitude earthquake that killed over 70 people, injured 1,000 more and left nearly 21,000 homeless. The earthquake's epicenter was located roughly 860 miles south of Lima.

"The devastation in Peru is heart-wrenching," says Robert C. Macauley, Founder and Chairman of AmeriCares. "AmeriCares is committed to doing everything we can to aid the great people of Peru after this horrendous earthquake."

"In addition to the relief materials that have just cleared Customs in Peru, we have an additional shipment en route as we speak," states Celina de Sola. "And we will send more if the needs dictate as such."

Peru's interim President Valentin Paniagua declared a state of emergency on Sunday for the entire region affected by the quake.

Responding to earthquakes in Peru is nothing new to AmeriCares. AmeriCares was one of the first disaster relief organizations to respond to earthquakes in May 1990 and November 1996. In addition, AmeriCares has supported long and short-term healthcare projects in that country for over a decade.

For more information, or to contact AmeriCares Foundation, see their website at: www.americares.org