I've been disturbed by the lack of coverage in the American media on the horrendous situation developing in Pisco, Peru. The city, along with neighboring Ica and Hauncavelica, were devastated by a powerful earthquake a week ago Wednesday. Since then, residents of the ruined cities have scrambled to find scarce supplies of food and water, while recovering the remains of over 500 dead. The area remains without electricity. Predictably, armed gangs have used the opportunity to wreak havoc in the cities. In the midst of the chaos, the local prison walls collapsed, offering the opportunity of escape to hundreds of prisoners. Armed robberies and other violence have become routine.
Added to this is the Peruvian government's seemingly limited ability to control and contain the violence. According to an article buried deep in in the New York Times' International Section, aid conveys have been looted, and the police and army have had limited success in preventing widespread looting. Residents have taken to protecting themselves. In its own buried coverage of the earthquake, the Washington Post reported that:
The highway entrance to Pisco is particularly vulnerable to looting, because the main point of access from the north is a bridge that has been reduced to one lane. Lines of vehicles stretch for miles, making trucks and aid vehicles sitting ducks for roving bands of looters.
On Friday afternoon, for example, young men raced among the idling vehicles north of the bridge, trying to identify which might be carrying aid. They ransacked a truck that was sitting in traffic directly in front of a local station of Peru's national police. Men and women screamed for help from police officers, though none came from the station.
The Times' man-on-the-scene, Simon Romero, not exactly known for his hard-hitting Latin American reportage, tried to sugarcoat the situation by announcing the birth of Pisco's first child since the quake.
While desperation persisted in Pisco, Canal N, a Peruvian television network, broadcast news of a baby born late Friday in one of the city’s makeshift medical sites, amid the applause and shouts of “Viva!” by dozens of people. The baby, a boy, was named Rafael Jesus.
“After the fear that we all felt, I am happy,” Ericka Gutiérrez, the baby’s mother, told the network. President García went to the clinic to congratulate the parents, describing the baby as “handsome.”
That's all fine and well, but Romero's scant attention to the situation's desperation is deplorable. Romero limits his focus on relief efforts to mentioning that 30,000 tents are needed immediately in the affected towns. The actual scene is more dire. A review of CARE International's press release (seemingly the same one Romero cribs for his information) paints an ugly picture:
"Until homes are rebuilt, 30,000 tents will be needed in the region," says Milo Stanojevich, CARE director in Peru. "In rural areas, casualties are lower, but damage to adobe structures is widespread. Water must be brought in since water lines have been damaged and the lack of electricity makes wells that rely on pumps useless. Phone service is out in many areas and roads have collapsed or been obstructed by rockslides."
In Tambo de Mora, southwest of Chincha, CARE assessment teams report that 90 percent of homes were affected and health posts have collapsed. In communities in Huaytará and Casrtorvirreyna further inland -- located in Huancavelica, the poorest department of Peru -- an estimated 40 percent of homes have collapsed and survivors have no access to clean water. Thirty transport buses blocked by landslides have compounded the serious shortage of water and food in the area. There are also reports of homes destroyed in the lower parts of Ayacucho department, and CARE is currently assessing needs in these areas.
I visited Ica and Pisco a number of years ago. Both towns were lovely, and the people warm and welcoming. It's hard to read the following:
four men hoisted another coffin from the square and began to walk toward the cemetery, where the Zuñigas continued to wait for their family grave to be dug.
When the graves were finally finished, Carlos Zuñiga watched his daughter's casket being lowered into place, and the casket of his wife of 45 years placed atop hers.
"They died together as if they were hugging," he said, pressing an index finger under his glasses.
Maria was embraced by an older brother whose face was streaked with scars and partly covered by a bloody bandage.
Workers eventually covered the coffin with dirt and cement. Carlos Zuñiga wept and stumbled from the grave, accidentally kicking a piece of rubble that lay in his path
In the face of the ruin and death visited upon these areas, it's disgraceful that the United States government sees fit to donate a whopping $400,000 in relief funds. The European Union did little better with donations topping $1.5 million. These numbers will likely increase in coming weeks, but at what cost? The Red Cross announced that their operations alone will cost an immediate $1.3 million. In the meantime, worries about the spread of cholera and violence, compounded by limited access to clean water and medicine, keeps local populations on edge.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times has chosen to relegate its coverage of the situation to reporting on the ways in which Hugo Chavez has used the devastation to advance his agenda of personal aggrandizement.
To help, you can contact CARE International at www.care.org, or by phone at (800)521-CARE. The American Red Cross can be reached at www.redcross.org, or by phone at (800)HELP-NOW.