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LIMA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) has provided a loan of 300 million U.S. dollars to Peru to deal with the damage caused by El Nino, the CAF's representative in Peru, Eleonora Silva, announced Friday.
The El Nino phenomenon has caused Pacific Ocean surface temperatures to rise around seven degrees to 29ºC, with increased evaporation causing massive rainfall across much of Peru.
According to Peru's private Macroconsult consultancy, El Nino has caused damages of at least 3.1 billion U.S. dollars and killed at least 85 people since December. More than 800,000 people have been affected, over 153,000 houses have been damaged, while 7,500km of roads have been destroyed or blocked, and over 500 bridges have collapsed.
"300 million U.S. dollars are available to face natural disasters and we have told the president that this could be easily handed over, with 50 percent through a rapid payment," Silva explained, after the CAF's president, Enrique Garcia, met with Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
Furthermore, Silva said the CAF had offered technical cooperation to face adverse climate conditions.
Aid has been pouring into Peru after the El Nino phenomenon endangered the country with torrential rain and sparked landslides. Latin American countries, as well as China, the U.S. and Europe, have sent aid to help the needs of vulnerable populations, especially in the 11 regions hit by the atypical weather event.
