Spotlight on Aid and Disaster Preparedness in Peru’s Amazon region
We invite you to apply for the upcoming media trip to Peru’s Amazon region, organised by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations from 4 to 11 July 2026.
Peru’s Amazon forest cover 60% of the national territory, yet suffers from a limited presence of the state, institutions and basic services for local, indigenous communities. 49% of children live in extreme poverty, and 40% of medical needs go unmet. Water, sanitation and electricity coverage reaches less than 30% of residents. Increasing exposure to disasters such as floods, forest fires and oil spills compound local communities’ vulnerability.
In the department of Amazonas, we will visit EU-funded humanitarian projects where Action Against Hunger sets-up Early Warning Systems for indigenous communities to report and react to disasters as soon as they are observed, relying on connectivity systems and apps designed with the Awajun population.
In the department of Loreto, we will visit EU partner UNICEF’s projects to support health emergency preparedness and response, in remote indigenous communities with limited access to healthcare services. UNICEF works in hard-to-reach areas where vaccination coverage remains low, strengthening immunization, community-based surveillance, early warning systems and connectivity to improve timely detection and response to health threats. The visit will also highlight community health agents as a critical strategy to protect children’s health and save lives in vulnerable Amazonian territories.
The projects focus on the community-led management by the Awajun people of protected areas and natural patrimony with local authorities, civil society and the private sector. The Awajun people are the second largest Amazonian indigenous group in Peru and live mainly in the northern region (including Amazonas and Loreto). Their territory covers vast expanses of tropical rainforest strewn with rivers, lagoons, and mountains. The development of satellite-monitoring applications, the provision of supplies and equipment, and the strengthening of local institutions in these isolated communities is crucial to rapid emergency response.
This media trip offers a unique opportunity to learn about the challenges affecting Peru’s Amazon region and populations first-hand, where the EU supports a broad range of humanitarian activities including disaster preparedness, health and protection initiatives with operations implemented by long-standing aid partners with a historic footprint in Peru.
Deadline for registration: 4 June 2026, 17:00 CET.
Please note that after expressing your interest, we will review your application. If you are accepted, our team will contact you with more information concerning the programme and logistical arrangements. In that case, please confirm your participation as soon as possible so that we can process any needed visas and media accreditation.