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Peru

The ICRC delegation in Lima closely monitors the humanitarian consequences of past and present conflicts, visits detainees and promotes the search for people who went missing as long as 40 years ago.

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Three women whose family members are missing.

Our work in Peru

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has maintained a permanent presence in Peru since 1984 and signed a headquarters agreement with the Peruvian government in 1989. In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC carries out its humanitarian work in the country to address the needs of the families of people who went missing during the period of violence from 1980 to 2000. The ICRC is the only international humanitarian organization currently carrying out activities in the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), where the state of emergency continues as a result of the ongoing violence which is affecting civilians. We visit prisons to check on the conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees and promote measures to address their humanitarian needs. In addition, we carry out activities for the implementation, promotion, integration and dissemination of international humanitarian law (IHL) and other rules concerning the protection of people. We also provide support to strengthen the Peruvian Red Cross. In our activities to help people in need, we work with communities in both Spanish and Quechua, respecting their customs and their native language. The regional delegation in Lima covers Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Buenas Noticias

Buenas Noticias (good news) is a community dance initiative for the families of the victims of the violence that occurred in Peru between 1980 and 2000. It acknowledges their resilience and their tireless search for their missing loved ones.

More information

ICRC offices supporting the region: The regional delegation in Peru is responsible for the delegations in Ecuador and Bolivia.

The impact of our work

22,295
people went missing during the period of violence (1980–2000).
44
districts in the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica and Junín remain in a state of emergency.
105%
overcrowding rate was recorded in Peru’s prisons (June 2023), according to the Peruvian prison service (INPE).

The stories of the people we help

I now have the portraits drawn of my parents and sisters; thank you very much for that. Although I have buried them in the cemetery, their portraits make me feel that they are still beside me. I will put them up in my house so that they keep me company.

Rosilda Orihuela whose relatives went missing in Oronccoy, Ayacucho

I promised my mother that one day I would find her and bring her back to my village. Many people supported me, giving me the strength I needed, and today I have finally been able to give her a Christian burial.

Teófila Ochoa survivor of the violence in Accomarca, whose mother went missing

Our services in Peru

  • The ICRC’s missing persons programme, in close coordination with the authorities concerned, addresses the humanitarian needs of people affected by the disappearance of a loved one, helping them throughout the search process.

  • The ICRC carries out activities to promote and spread knowledge of IHL with the National Committee for the Study and Implementation of International Humanitarian Law (CONADIH), academia, the authorities and weapon bearers, with a view to furthering its implementation and integration.

  • In the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro Rivers (VRAEM), the ICRC carries out projects to construct water supply systems, classrooms, and toilets and hand-washing stations at schools, with a view to ensuring safe access to clean water and improving people’s health and quality of life.

  • The ICRC helps people get back in touch with their loved ones when they have lost contact as a result of migration, a natural disaster or violence.

  • The ICRC visits people deprived of their liberty to check that they are being treated properly. We work with the authorities to prevent abuse and to improve the conditions of detention and the health of detainees.

Contact us

Address

Av. Jorge Chávez 481, Miraflores, Lima, Peru

Telephone

+51 997560238 / +51 1 2419904

Opening Hours:

9am - 6pm

Write to us

Media contact

José Carlos Thissen

Telephone

+51 9541 31650
Contact

Our work with the Peruvian Red Cross

The ICRC cooperates with National Societies to further their institutional development and their role as auxiliaries to the public authorities for the safe delivery of relevant humanitarian services. We also help National Societies to strengthen their capacities so that they are able to provide an effective response in natural disasters, armed conflicts and other situations of violence. We coordinate with other International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners, working with them in a complementary manner and adapting our cooperation to the specific context of each country and the needs of each individual National Society.

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