In brief
Peru announced a 60‑day emergency covering 25 regions, affecting about three‑quarters of its districts as heavy floods linked to the El Niño phenomenon threaten communities. The decree, issued by President Keiko Fujimori’s administration, is intended to give national agencies operational support amid regional capacity shortages. The emergency has forced the displacement of hundreds of families in northern coastal areas, while Amazonian districts experience severe water‑scarcity.
Peru declared a 60‑day state of emergency across roughly 75% of the country’s districts on Tuesday, citing intense El Niño‑driven rainfall and flooding that threaten widespread damage, UPI reported.
The decree, published in the official gazette, covers all provinces within the 25 administrative regions of the nation. The government said the measure is necessary because regional authorities lack sufficient capacity to respond to the impending threat and that national agencies will provide technical and operational assistance during the emergency period.
According to UPI, rapid studies and reports from several agencies warned that the Pacific El Niño scenario is creating an “extremely high risk” of severe rainfall, flooding, overflowing rivers and destructive mudslides, locally known as “huaicos.”
The emergency has already displaced hundreds of families in northern coastal districts such as Tumbes and Piura. In Aguas Verdes, nearly 30 families were moved to temporary shelter after a flood from the Zarumilla River breached the town’s defenses, according to local media, while Puerto Perú reported more than 300 families affected by floodwaters entering homes.
Alongside the flooding surge, parts of the Amazon still endure severe water‑scarcity conditions, highlighting the uneven impact of the weather event across the country. The declaration is intended to enable swift emergency response and recovery operations, the government said, hoping to mitigate the ongoing crisis.
