Peru: First aid for VRAEM communities affected by violence

The VRAEM, as it is known for its acronym in Spanish, is a geographical area of mountains and jungle that straddles five departments – Apurímac, Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica y Junín – of which 37 districts have been in a state of emergency for more than a decade. Armed groups fight it out in the valley, leaving the local communities caught in the middle, with direct consequences for their mental health, emotional well-being and quality of life.