Bringing People Back Home: The Long Path of a Successful Reconstruction Programme in Peru

On 15 August 2007, an earthquake of 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the Peruvian coastline with endless aftershocks and small tsunamis. The earthquake struck Ica, Huancavelica and Lima, however, the most significantly affected communities were Canete, Chincha, Pisco and Ica. The earthquake caused not just physical damage to houses, schools and community infrastructure but also the death of 593 people. 131,393 families were directly affected.

In Peru, the IFRC’s response and recovery operation occurred in three phases:

1. Emergency,
2. Early recovery
3. Rehabilitation

The shelter response programme reflected these different stages of reconstruction.