Emergency Disaster Relief for Flooding in Paoyhan

The Shipibo-Konibo Native Community of Paoyhan in Ucayali, Peru has flooded severely over the last couple weeks. Combined with the second wave of COVID-19 in the region, the community is now in a state of emergency.



With flooded chacras, where they grow their food and subsistence crops, Paoyhan's families have lost their food supplies. Further, living with water in their homes makes the people of Paoyhan vulnerable to illnesses carried in the contaminated water, especially the elderly and children. In addition, the pandemic and lockdown has meant that families are more economically insecure than usual and immune systems are low. The people of Paoyhan are calling for help from their foreign friends so that they can buy food supplies and medicines for the communities of Paoyhan and Paococha (sister communities).



This fundraising effort is coordinated through Farmacia Viva Sanken Yaka (the Sanken Yaka Living Pharmacy), an organization led by community members in Paoyhan who are working closely with the community authorities on this effort. Laura has been involved with this organization since it began in 2017. They have been instrumental in providing support for the community during the pandemic by coordinating the distribution of food and supplies from multiple fundraising efforts.

{The  mission of Farmacia Viva is to promote community wellness through the conservation of medicinal plants and traditional healing practices; they have a 10 hectare area of land on Paoyhan's territory that they are curating for the conservation of medicinal plants. Video by James Rojas, the youth coordinator of Farmacia Viva.}