The forces of nature continue to affect areas of Peru, in particular the coastal zones where losses have been suffered from the Tumbes region in the north to Arequipa in the south.
Heavy rainfall, landslides and overflowing rivers have continued apace, having so far resulted in some 75 fatalities, 263 injuries and 700,000 more affected inhabitants. To date, 20 people remain unaccounted for.
There is currently a lack of drinking water throughout the coastal regions of the country, including Lima, and the recovery of supplies of fresh water remains dependent upon no further landslides occurring.
The country is currently experiencing a situation unseen in 20 years, a natural phenomenon that has affected 150,000 homes, in many cases critically, with 156 bridges collapsed and some 6% of the country's highway network currently unserviceable. In the capital Lima, six hydroelectric power plants have been taken out of service in order to prevent damage from the rains and landslides, while the region of Tumbes alone has seen the loss of 1,800 hectares of rice cultivation and 1,400 hectares of banana plantation, at the loss of almost USD10m.
Although there are currently no official figures, the regional government of Piura estimates that up to 15 March 2017 the natural catastrophe caused a total loss in its region of PEN 100m (USD30m) in public infrastructure and agricultural losses. Meanwhile in more recent days larger losses have been reported in Lima and Trujillo, and while there remain no formal estimates it is expected that they will be very significant.
