Peru Floods - Going The Extra Mile
One thing I couldn't have hoped for more so far into 2010, was sun. The cold weather, snow, rain and ferocious winds seemed like such an inconvenience to my life. All I wanted was a tiny little bit of sun to brighten up my day... right up until I saw a news report on Peru informing me that 100,000 people have been affected since February by torrential rains.
Hearing news like this doesn't only make me feel like the biggest bitch ever for complaining that my Ugg boots get wet in the rain, but it also makes me wish I'd never asked for rain on those days in which it is sunny in London and the sun's beaming on the back of my neck. To envisage 40,000 people losing their homes is hard for me to do; picture the whole of Shoreditch town homeless, but even that doesn't compare to what's happening in Apurimac and Puno, to name just two places affected in Peru.
People are stranded by the overflowed rivers, stuck in the mudslides and alone having lost their families and homes. The crops, trees and animals have also been destroyed leaving little hope for those affected to find food. Crops which have taken months and years to produce properly are going to take an equal amount of time to get back and after the water-logging of most areas, re-building houses doesn't seem very likely at the moment.
From London there doesn't seem like much we can do about this, and it's very hard to put ourselves in the shoes of the people affected. But it is important to remember that literally every and anything can be useful to them right now, as the local authorities try to help build back their community. In London we seem so good at donating clothes to charities that are right on our doorstep, why not go the extra mile and send blankets, towels, clothing, medical appliances, over to Peru instead?
Of course, without a specific address, you could say it’s easier said than done – but it’s really not that complicated. Gather the resources you can and want to spare, and donate donate donate to the NGO’s (national or international) working in the affected areas around the world. These NGO’s have assessed the needs of the population and are able to source the items needed locally, benefiting across the community economies.
Get on board. These people need your help right now, the same way you'd need theirs should it happen in England.
Words: Sian Anderson
Photo: Flickr user shelterboxuk
For more information on the hundreds of NGO's working in Peru, please click here
To learn more about Christian Aid's work in Peru, please click here
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