In Peru, CERF supports protection and recovery

Peru | 2023 | CERF

Peru: Tumbes Piura and Lambayeque. Maria Mercedes leads a women’s shelter in La Molina II settlement. She has helped several women get health care and file police reports after incidents of gender-based violence.

The intense rains and floods caused by Cyclone Yaku and the coastal El Niño phenomenon had affected the lives of over half a million people and displaced nearly 96,000 as of May 2023. This is how the climate crisis is affecting people. And, as in displacement crises the world over, women and girls are at increased risk of violence.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator allocated $6.9 million from CERF’s Rapid Response window for humanitarian response activities. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance for 223,000 people, including in protection and GBV services.

CERF funding has helped UNFPA and local partners guarantee access for more affected women to comprehensive, timely services including sexual and reproductive health care. The money has funded mobile clinics that offer health care and protection services for women and girls affected by floods in the north.

Alongside this, UNFPA conducted training for local and regional government officials, as well as public health workers, on preventing and responding to GBV in emergencies.

As Ms. Mercedes explains, social change is not easy. “As a leader, I have gone to the police station, filed complaints, and witnessed women changing their minds about reporting. This happens because no one is providing them with support and security so that they don’t feel alone,” she says.

The mobile clinics offer some help. “I am pleased to see that organizations like the United Nations Population Fund are fully committed to the realities we face as women every day. Through workshops and psychological and legal assistance, they provide invaluable support on our journey,” she adds.

Original story: adapted from original articles by UNFPA Peru and UNFPA Peru

More information about the CERF allocation for Peru in May 2023.