Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on Wednesday night launched the government's 2017 Frost and Friaje (cold spell) "Antes Peru" (Peru Ahead) Multisectoral Mitigation Plan.
Said initiative is geared towards preventing, as well as mitigating fatalities and damage caused by frost events among highland populations.
"We are here [in Cusco region] trying to prevent [impacts of frost events] in time, hence the name of the program: "Antes Peru," the Head of State explained.
The S/100-million (about US$30.75 million) plan also includes actions to deliver: food, housing, productive development, health, education, transport and electrification services to vulnerable populations across 16 regions.
This way, the government seeks to avert major damage and casualties, like the ones recently caused by "Coastal El Niño" phenomenon disasters.
Antes Peru
Antes Peru Frost and Friaje Mitigation Plan will involve all government sectors.
In this sense, the Development and Social Inclusion Ministry will install 1,141 "warm homes," 20,375 emergency kits, 3,200 enhanced stoves, among others.
Similarly, the Ministries of Women and Vulnerable Populations; Transport and Communications; Education; Health; as well as Agriculture will join prevention efforts.
Items will include blankets, prefabricated classrooms, pneumonia vaccines, food kits, among others.
As in the case of Coastal El Niño emergency response, the Executive has appointed State Ministers to coordinate government actions in most affected regions.
Ministers deployed will be: Ana Maria Romero-Lozada (Women and Vulnerable Populations; Apurimac region), Bruno Giuffra (Production; Arequipa region), Gonzalo Tamayo (Energy and Mines; Cusco region), Elsa Galarza (Environment; Huancavelica region), as well as Salvador del Solar (Culture; Puno region).
(END) DHT/MVB