Havana, March 27 (RHC)-- Cuba is preparing to send a medical brigade to Peru to assist victims of heavy rains and severe floods  affecting the South American country over the past few weeks.

The Cuban embassy in Lima offered the Peruvian Foreign Ministry the services of a contingent from the Henry Reeve Medical brigade, Specialized in Serious Epidemics and Disasters.

The group, made up of over 20 health professionals, will stay in Peru for one month, and is equipped with sufficient medicine and supplies to treat thousands of people.

The Cuban embassy released a statement, saying that the island's professionals are ready to travel as soon as Peruvian authorities indicate that they are ready to receive the medical contingent.

This is not the first time Cuba has supported Peru in responding to natural disasters. Teams of Cuban health professionals participated in recovery efforts following massive earthquakes in Peru in 1970 and then again in 2007.

Last week, President Raúl Castro sent his Peruvian counterpart, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a message of condolence, in which he also expressed the Cuban people's strong sympathy and solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives and all those affected by the natural disaster.

Since last December, Peru has faced extreme weather conditions, associated with the El Niño phenomenon.