Arequipa reports severe damage to 93 schools

The Arequipa Regional Education Management has reported that 93 educational institutions in the region have suffered severe infrastructure damage. Marco William Choque Manrique, the regional education manager, noted that despite a national emergency declaration for public educational infrastructure in August, progress in addressing these gaps remains insufficient.

To mitigate the impact of the El Niño phenomenon, regional authorities have coordinated with specialists from the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology of Peru (Senamhi) and the National Center for Estimation, Prevention, and Reduction of Disaster Risk (Cenepred). Local education directors have been instructed to verify risks and damages within their respective jurisdictions.

Choque Manrique highlighted that a request for 141 prefabricated classrooms to repair damage caused by January rains has yet to be fulfilled by the Ministry of Education.