Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-07-05-Speech-4-194"
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"en.20010705.10.4-194"2
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"As the House knows, a strong earthquake struck southern Peru on 23 June 2001. Up-dated figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs indicate that almost 190 000 people were affected and some 35 000 homes damaged or destroyed. Through its humanitarian aid office ECHO, the Commission reacted, and I am grateful for the generous remarks made by the honourable Member, Mr Medina.
The Commission reacted very promptly. A decision to allocate humanitarian aid amounting to EUR 1.15m was taken two days after the earthquake to help meet the first urgent needs of the victims. This is the first time, in fact, that the Commission has made use of its new system for responding immediately to the sudden onset of humanitarian crises which came into operation less than two weeks ago.
Furthermore, five emergency humanitarian operations are already under way. The Spanish Red Cross is distributing food aid and emergency relief items for 1 000 families to the tune of EUR 250 000. Oxfam is spending EUR 200 000 on emergency water storage and distribution facilities and sanitation. Save the Children Fund – EUR 300 000 on blankets and tents. Medicos Del Mundo – EUR 100 000 on blankets, medicines, water tanks and plastic sheets for shelter. The International Federation of the Red Cross – EUR 300 000 on shelter, food and support to the rescue efforts for health, water, sanitation and other relief supplies. That is how our emergency relief is being spent and I think it is being spent in sensible ways.
According to information received from the field, the international response has been generous and the immediate needs seem to be covered. Nevertheless, the Commission services continue to monitor the situation in case additional aid is required.
A debate on a resolution on the Peruvian earthquake is not perhaps the most appropriate framework to discuss the political situation in Peru, but I would nevertheless like to stress that we are extremely satisfied with the capacity shown by Peru and its transitional government to carry out transparent and clean elections after the political disasters described very effectively by the honourable Member in his maiden speech. We shall look forward to hearing from him many times in the future. It was a pretty vigorous maiden as maidens go!
The European Union Observation Mission for the elections was extremely positive. Like honourable Members, I discussed the catastrophe and the European response on Tuesday with President Toledo during his visit to Parliament. We want to congratulate the interim government and the people of Peru for the maturity shown in this situation and for the support and cooperation provided to our team in the field.
I was able to say to President Toledo when he was here with us that the approximately EUR 60m in programmes for the alleviation of poverty blocked by the conduct of the elections in 2000 will now be released. We want to proceed with those projects as rapidly as possible. I follow very much the point raised by Mr Medina, you want to get on with those projects as soon as possible and I know that poverty alleviation is one of the new President's priorities.
We also want to sit down with the new government to discuss programming our future assistance. The President himself underlined his commitment to reforming the judiciary and making sure that there is in place a rule of law in the institutions to make that rule of law effective. I feel that that is a very important way in which we can see the encouragement of more private investment in Peru and more confidence on the part of the international community.
We all express our condolences to those who have been affected by this terrible earthquake but at least it has given us the opportunity of expressing in this House once again our solidarity with democracy in Peru and our encouragement of the new Peruvian government."@en1
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