Air Force C-130s deploy to Peru for flood relief aid

Two U.S. Air Force C-130s were recently deployed to Peru to assist with ongoing flood disaster relief efforts, according to the Department of Defense.

On April 4, the C-130 Hercules aircraft from Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, flew to Lima, Peru, at the request of the Peruvian government. U.S. disaster assistance has been ongoing in communities in northern Peru in response to flooding caused by torrential rainfall. Flooding and landslides, which began last month, have killed more than 100 people and left more than 150,000 homeless.

The deployed aircraft are supporting the transport of aid and personnel to flooded regions. This includes U.S. military personnel as well as personnel from the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Disaster Assistance Response Team. USAID is the lead agency for the ongoing U.S. relief mission.

The DoD has donated $270,000 for water purification systems, portable solar generators and water pumps to be distributed in the flooded areas of Peru.

The South American country has a close relationship with U.S. Southern Command, which has provided disaster preparedness assistance to Peru in the past. That assistance included the construction of 13 regional emergency operation centers, which have been used by Peruvian relief personnel to support response to the recent floods.