Peru‘s recent string of downpours caught residents and officials off-guard, as they scrambled to contain the floodwaters.
At least 20 people have died from rain-related incidents, including a landslide that buried six miners in southern Peru.
The city of Chiclayo has been one of the hardest hit. Streets and buildings are filled with water. Many residents say they are unable to work.
Now President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is promising a long-term solution.
“We are declaring a state of emergency and there are funds to help, but what we have to do further down the line is to make sure that all of Peru has paved road and drainage, because the problem comes from these clay streets as when there is a lot of rain, they fill up.”- said. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
Rivers bursting their banks have pushed thousands from their homes.
Water treatment plants are clogged with rocks and debris, prompting authorities to restrict water use in Peru‘s largest cities.
(Reuters)
