LIMA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency in another 164 districts in the capital Lima and other parts of the country due to torrential rains that have wreaked havoc in recent months, according to Thursday's edition of the government gazette "El Peruano."
The published decree says it aims to facilitate the "corresponding immediate and necessary emergency, response and rehabilitation measures and actions" for the affected districts, which now number 321.
Districts covered by the measure are located in a range of departments, including Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes and Ucayali.
Emergency measures "may be modified according to the needs and security factors that arise during their execution, based on the technical studies of the competent entities," the decree adds.
The government has also arranged to receive donations of essential items for the affected communities, such as medical supplies, medicine, sun protection, vaccines, bug repellent, food, beverages, clothing, blankets, footwear, towels and mattresses.
The latest 164 districts join the initial 157 that were declared to be in a state of emergency on Feb. 20 following heavy downpours, which have to date claimed 62 lives, left nine missing and impacted some 23,743 people since the start of the rainy season in December 2024, according to the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci).
On Wednesday, Indeci reported the rains had caused damage to public infrastructure, including schools, clinics and roadways. ■
