EU Experts to Peru
August 17, 2007
"The European Commission has activated its civil protection mechanism's monitoring information center following the international call for assistance issued yesterday by Peru," Commission spokesman Philip Tod told journalists.
The center "will send a team of experts to Peru to assess the needs on the ground and identify how European civil protection can contribute to overall relief efforts," he added.
The decision comes less than a day after the Commission announced plans to donate an estimated 1 million euros in immediate aid via its humanitarian department, ECHO, and partners on the ground such as the Red Cross and UN aid agencies.
EU sending cash and experts
"We don't know the full scale of the tragedy yet, but we do know that a lot of people are suffering, and they need help as soon as possible," the EU's Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said in a press release.
"The Commission is providing a rapid first response and we will follow that up if required, when we learn more about the needs," he added.
Information from the stricken zone remains sketchy because of access problems. The Peruvian government's request for aid, however, prioritized medical assistance, shelter and tools, Tod said.
The Commission has also asked EU member states to provide information on any plans for aid which they may have in order to coordinate better the international response to the disaster, he added.
The earthquake, measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, struck the Ica region in southern Peru on Wednesday evening. By Friday, the death toll had risen to over 500, with hundreds injured.