At 19:42 on Tuesday night another strike hit Abruzzo province in central Italy measuring 5.7 on Richter scale. The shock echoed in the Italian Red Cross Headquarters offices in Rome 120 km from L’Aquila, who were still busy coordinating the humanitarian operations in this late hour. The aftershocks that continued through the whole night increased the tension and added work for the 400 staff and volunteers of the Italian Red Cross (IRC) working in the disaster zone.
The latest confirmed reports from IRC working on the ground in the disaster zone is 250 dead. Thousands of people rendered homeless because of the disaster were receiving help from the various national agencies, among which the IRC was providing water, hot meals and warm blankets in the tent camps.
Today the fifth mobile kitchen starts working with distribution of hot meals for the people who spent the chilly night in the tent camps without any heating. The kitchen in L’Aquila provides 7,000 meals a day working with 70 staff and volunteers. Three other kitchens have been working since Monday in San Gregorio, in Collemaggio and in Centicolella providing collectively another 7,000 meals a day. The fifth soup kitchen has arrived from the IRC branch in Verona, with a capacity of 7,000 meals a day. The same convoy delivered a base camp for 300 operators, a bulldozer, a four wheel drive ambulance, light columns, toilets and logistic equipments – all badly needed in the city and in the tent camps. 10,000 blankets were distributed to people before the night fell.
Teams of volunteer doctors and nurses for medical aid and assistance are working at the four IRC Advanced Medical Posts - two in the city of L’Aquila, and two in the neighboring villages of Paganica and Piazza Acquasanta. More than 30 ambulances are engaged in the operation helping to move and evacuate the affected people. In addition two tents have been set up to provide first aid services. The IRC teams for psychological support are working closely with the families hit by the tragedy.
The IRC search and rescue operation continued at night with seven IRC dog units (four from Naples and three from Trento). They will support the Civil protection efforts through Wednesday.
“The Italian Red Cross have been doing an amazing rescue and relief job together with the state civil protection units," says Leon Prop, acting Head of the IFRC Europe zone office.
“Many National societies in Central Europe and across the globe expressed their solidarity and are on stand-by ready to offer any help or assistance that may be required. So far, according to the Italian Red Cross, their human and technical resources have been sufficient to cope with the most urgent needs,” he said. The IFRC will help mobilize additional resources should the IRC determine there is a need.
The Italian government has not called for international assistance, drawing upon national resources from within to address the most urgent needs. The IRC has launched a National Appeal of solidarity that will enable it to carry out operations also in the medium and long term, providing adequate shelter, warm clothes, food provisions and psychosocial support for the survivors.
“Through our experience in disaster response worldwide, we know that support will also be needed long after the tremors have faded,” says Mr Prop. “For this reason we would encourage financial support to the Italian Red Cross’ work as the most cost-effective approach that can be tailored flexibly to the needs of the affected people.”
For more information, please contact:
In Budapest:
Margarita Plotnikova, Communication Manager, Europe Zone,
tel: +36 1 888 4506
In Italy:
Tommasso Della Longa, Italian Red Cross, head of communications,
tel: +393207979485 (English speaking)
Marcello Guerra, head of international (French speaking), tel:+393207979483
In Geneva:
Paul Conneally, IFRC Media Manager, Tel: +41(0)22.730.4669
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At 19:42 on Tuesday night another strike hit Abruzzo province in central Italy measuring 5.7 on Richter scale. The shock echoed in the Italian Red Cross Headquarters offices in Rome 120 km from L’Aquila, who were still busy coordinating the humanitarian operations in this late hour. (ANSA photo)
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