US to send hospital ship to Peru as El Nino threat looms

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LIMA, Peru (AP) — The United States will send a military hospital ship to Peru’s Pacific coast next year to help Peru cope with the effects of the El Nino climate phenomenon as part of a broader collaboration with the South American country, U.S. Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro announced Wednesday.

The announcement comes after Navarro met with Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Espá in Miami to discuss cooperation, and at a moment when the U.S. has sent increased humanitarian aid for earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela. The U.S. is also ramping up its joint military operations in the region.

Espá indicated that a road map had been developed, which includes assistance in the form of equipment, expertise, and overflights to prevent, mitigate and respond to the phenomenon. The amount of U.S. aid was not disclosed. Espá also met with U.S. business leaders interested in investing in mining and infrastructure projects.

Navarro said in Spanish that the meeting's objective was to understand Peru’s needs and how to provide support with a rapid response. He noted that aid following the recent earthquake in Colombia would have been faster with better coordination.

Navarro indicated that the hospital ship USNS Comfort, which was already in Peru in 2018 and 2019, will arrive in the northern Pacific coast of Peru in February 2027, when El Nino is expected to peak.

The El Nino climate phenomenon is a warming of the Pacific Ocean near the equator that affects global weather patterns. According to meteorologists, it could soon equal or surpass the 1997 phenomenon, which caused damage from heat waves, heavy rains, floods and forest fires.

President Keiko Fujimori, who took office on July 28, has said that addressing the potentially catastrophic climate phenomenon is a priority.

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