The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a preliminary emergency appeal for seven million Swiss francs (6.4 million USD/ 4.7 million €) to support the Chilean Red Cross Society (CRCS) relief operation for people affected by the strong earthquake that struck Chile on 27 February. The tremor was followed by a tsunami which affected a coastal strip of several hundred kilometres, with a wave of over two metres hitting the port of Talcahuano.
The funds will be used to provide 15,000 families with relief goods, tents and tarpaulins as well as a field hospital, generators, water and sanitation teams and logistics support over the next six months.
According to the latest government figures, more than 720 people have died, and at least 1.5 million people have been affected. As assessments continue, the death toll is expected to rise. The government has declared a state of emergency in six central regions, Maule, Bio Bio, Valparaiso, Metropolitana, Libertador O’Higgins and Araucania. Strong aftershocks continue to rock the country.
The Chilean Red Cross, working in close coordination with the National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI), deployed its emergency response teams within four hours of the earthquake and deployed some 120 volunteers from the headquarters in and around Santiago. The number of active volunteers in the affected regions, estimated at 2,000 in normal times, is still unknown since the CRCS has not been able to restore communications with all its local offices. The Chilean Red Cross has 29 branches in the region of Bio-Bio and 14 branches in the region of Maule, some of which were destroyed in the quake.
The Chilean Red Cross has been distributing food, hygiene articles and blankets to survivors. It has launched a domestic appeal for cash donations and has called upon the population to donate blood to supply the hospital network.
“Many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world have offered their support,” says Yasemin Aysan, IFRC Under Secretary General for Disaster Management. “The Chilean Red Cross is a strong and active society, and we are committed to helping them face the great challenges posed by this immense tragedy, not only during the emergency, but also in the vital early recovery phase.”
The IFRC’s regional representative arrived in Chile on 28 Feb and joined the Chilean Red Cross in an aerial assessment of the most affected areas, including the coastal zones hit by a tsunami. In addition, its Pan American Disaster Response Unit, based in Panama, has sent in a team to provide technical support in the fields of damage assessments, health, logistics, relief, shelter and information management. Global and regional emergency response teams are on standby, ready to be deployed, as needed.
The government has carried out aerial and land assessments, deployed emergency response units to the affected areas, opened collective centres to house survivors, distributed food and generators, set up field hospitals and mobilized water units and machines to clear the debris. Communications and electricity are slowly being restored as assessments continue.