Construction of Peru's Andes National Highway, undertaken by a Chinese firm, has surpassed the 100-kilometer mark of asphalt paving, halfway through the country's largest mountainous infrastructure project, which is set to open next year.
Stretching 236.6 kilometers, the highway traverses the high-altitude Andes Mountains, with 90 percent of its route being at least 3,000 meters above the sea level, posing significant safety challenges due to steep cliffs.
"The construction team has extensively utilized China's most advanced concrete mixing equipment and automated asphalt production machines, ensuring both the progress and quality of the project," said Zhang Baolin, project manager with China Railway 20th Bureau.
The highway runs through Huánuco province, where the local economy relies heavily on agriculture. The new highway is expected to significantly improve transportation for local products like potatoes and corn. Before the vision becomes a reality, the construction of the project has already created over 2,000 jobs for families along the route.
"The Andes Mountains are one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. During our three years of construction, we have cultivated and planted over 40,000 saplings and restored 18 hectares of vegetation, integrating our green construction philosophy into the project," said Dai Ruibin, engineering director of the project.
Upon completion, the Andes National Highway will connect the mountainous regions to the Pan-American Highway, reducing travel time between Huánuco and Yarowilca from over 10 hours to under three hours, benefiting roughly 270,000 residents in over 240 towns along the route.
Construction advances on Peru's Andes highway
The United Nations human rights chief on Saturday called for all parties to return to the negotiating table to solve the differences as the tensions in the Middle East region keep intensifying after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on the day.
Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the appeal in a video address recorded in Switzerland’s Geneva. He stressed that instead of resolving differences, military attacks will only result in destruction and civilian casualties.
"I deplore the military strikes across Iran this morning by Israel and the United States of America, and the subsequent retaliatory strikes by Iran. As always, in any armed conflict, it is civilians who end up paying the ultimate price. Bombs and missiles are not the way to resolve differences but only result in death, destruction, and human misery," he said.
He called on all parties to return to the negotiating table and stressed that negotiation is the only way to resolve differences.
"To avert these terrible consequences for civilians, I call for restraint and implore all parties to see reason, to de-escalate, and for a return to the 'negotiating table' where they had been actively seeking a solution only hours earlier. This is the only way durably to resolve the deep differences between states that exist," Turk said.
He underscored the importance of protecting civilians and warned that those who violate international law will be held accountable.
"I have already warned that failing to do so risks an even wider conflict that will inevitably lead to further senseless civilian deaths and destruction on a potentially unimaginable scale, not just in Iran but across the Middle East region. I remind all parties that international law with respect to armed conflict is very clear: the protection of civilians is paramount. Each and every actor involved needs to ensure compliance with these laws and violations of them must lead to accountability for those responsible," said Turk.
The United States and Israel on Saturday launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran, with the latter responding with a series of attacks on Israel and U.S. targets across the Middle East.
Increasing casualties are reported in Iran and other countries involved in the ongoing flare-up.
Iran's state media confirmed Sunday that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Saturday.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.
UN calls for returning to negotiating table as U.S., Israel intensify attacks on Iran
