Nathalie Sayago

Women Survival

By Nathalie Sayago

The friday, 8th February of 2019 approximately at 2 pm, Eliana and her family didn’t imagine what was about to happen. The huaico (landslide) that devastated the town of Mirave in Tacna not only destroyed houses, cars, and material things, but also took the lives of some inhabitants. One of the lives taken was the life of Eliana’s son, a boy of 4 years old.

Eliana Sucari, 7 months pregnant, was swept away by the water with her two children. She and her eldest daughter managed to survive. Milagros (7 years old) knows how to swim, said Eliana. I saw her stick her head out of the mud, and as I could, I grabbed a stick and pulled it out, but my little boy, my little boy, I couldn’t save him.

He was very restless, said Eliana as she remembered him wiping her tears from her eyes. My little brother was with Jesus in heaven, and also my dog, Milagros, tells me as she sweeps the room of the shelter where they are temporarily relocated.

Eliana and her daughter suffered damage to various parts of their body, but we are alive, and my son, the one I have in my belly, is alive. I think it will be a boy, but the doctors say it is a girl. I hope it is a boy, he tells me, Eliana, while rubbing his belly.

Her husband, Stanli, who was not at home that afternoon, only asks for help for his family. We need a house; we lost everything, miss. As you can see, it is the only thing we have. I know we are going to start a new leaf, but we need help.

For Agencia Peruana de Noticias ANDINA

Supported by her husband and mother, Eliana receives help changing as she heals physically while mourning her youngest son.
Eliana displays wounds on her stomach caused by the force of the mudslide
Seven months pregnant, Eliana Sucari survived the landslide that devastated Mirave alongside her daughter, Milagritos. Her youngest son, Josep, tragically lost his life.
Severe injuries span Eliana’s body following the disaster.
Young Milagritos was fortunate to escape with minor injuries, though the tragedy weighs heavily on her.
Freshly washed clothes hang outside the shelter where Eliana and her family reside following the landslide.
Portrait of Eliana Sucari with visible injuries as a consequence of being swept away by the water.
Displaced from their home in Mirave, Eliana’s family rests in emergency housing
Eliana’s husband holds her hand, offering quiet support as their family navigates profound grief.
Although the San Pedro children’s village typically only houses minors, an exception was made for Eliana’s family due to the devastating impact of the Mirave landslide.
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