Fujimori Warns 'We Are Already Late': Inside Peru's Mega El Niño Race Against the Clock

The news article examines the Peruvian government's preparations for an extraordinary El Niño event expected to intensify between December 2026 and March 2027. CENEPRED classifies 9.3 million people as being at very high risk of flooding and landslides, while INDECI estimates that 1.2 million face the most immediate danger. Sea surface temperatures along the northern coast are running 4 to 5 °C above seasonal levels. The government has deployed 13,000 emergency tents with capacity for 30,000 people in Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque, as well as field hospitals, modular bridges, barriers for flood-prone gullies, vessels and helicopters. It has also issued 22 emergency decrees, 14 of which represent approximately S/2 billion in committed funds. Government preparations are estimated to be 70 percent complete, and fewer than 500 of 1,800 identified hazard sites have been fully remediated.