One of the worst experiences I had ever had occurred on Aug.15 at 6:40 p.m.. I was back home in Peru visiting friends and family when a magnitude-eight earthquake hit. It lasted more than two minutes.
I have heard about earthquakes but never had to live through one.
The one that hit Peru is classified as being the deadliest quake in 35 years and occurred in one of the most seismically active geological areas in the world, where the South American plate collides with the Nazca plate.
I was extremely scared and shaken in the hours that followed the quake. Nothing happened to the house where I was staying or in the neighborhoods nearby except for a few broken windows and some fallen debris from the ceiling. We were lucky.
Unfortunately, many people in the towns of Pisco, Chincha Alta and Ica, located south of Lima, were not so lucky. The earthquake’s epicenter was located off the coast of Pisco at 19 kilometers underground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Eighty percent of the homes in Pisco were destroyed. So far, approximately 510 people are dead and more than 1,500 are injured. The earthquake has affected 80,000 people, and many are left homeless in the midst of one of the worst winters in South American history.
Water and electricity are scarce and the possibility of a disease outbreak is strong.
One of the things that amazed me was the way in which countries throughout the world sent help to the ones affected by this tragedy.
Peru’s president, Alan Garcia, said that he was impressed with the international response to the disaster.
Neighboring countries such as Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Bolivia sent planes with food, shelter and medicine supplies for the victims. The United States reacted immediately to Peru’s disaster and announced it was sending $100,000 to the affected areas. In addition, a team from the U.S. Agency for International Development was sent to Peru to provide additional help. The Department of Defense has also announced that it will send a Field Surgical Team.
Spain, Ireland and Thailand have also sent emergency aid.
In situations such as these, where entire towns have to be rebuilt and the country does not have many resources in order to help victims, massive donations are needed.
Peru is a very poor country and people are doing what they can to help. However, this is a tragedy for everyone and we should all do what we can to help those in need.
There are many ways in which you can help. You can call 1-800-HELP-NOW (or 1-800-257-7575 for Spanish) to make donations over the phone. Additionally, you can donate online through the Red Cross website for Peru’s earthquake or by contacting your local Red Cross chapter and asking to donate.