Chile Earthquake – Update

As the death toll from Saturday’s earthquake in Chile reaches more than 700, we have had a number of calls from employees who have been asking which charities are involved in the relief effort.

The British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children are all assisting the relief efforts currently and more details of their work in Chile is below.  

With millions of people affected by the earthquake, your support is desperately needed to help us reach as many Chileans as possible.

British Red Cross – The Chilean government estimates that, aside from the 700 recorded dead so far, around two million people were affected by the disaster.

There have been more than 90 aftershocks so far, including one of 6.9 on the Richter scale. Infrastructure, such as electricity and water supplies, roads, hospitals and bridges, has been damaged and communications with some of the affected areas have not yet been fully restored.

Field hospitals, tents, telecommunications equipment and electric generators are some of the most urgently needed items.  The Chilean Red Cross is working closely with the country’s national emergency office to provide immediate aid to people affected.

It is highly experienced in responding to disasters of this kind, as Chile’s location makes it especially prone to earthquakes. It has volunteers working in the affected areas providing first aid to survivors, and has worked hard in recent years to make sure local communities know how to respond in a crisis.

Staff and volunteers are also broadcasting public service announcements on how to respond to aftershocks, and are appealing to the public to donate blood.

Mike Goodhand, British Red Cross head of disaster management, said: “We are beginning to get reports of significant damage to roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure. Access into some areas is still difficult and aftershocks being additional risks to survivors.

“We have immediately released £50,000 to support the Chilean Red Cross, but the scale of the earthquake means much more will be needed.  In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters either overseas or here in the UK.

Click here to support the work of the British Red Cross with a regular donation from your pay

Oxfam – Details on the impact of the earthquake on Chile are still emerging, but Oxfam’s emergency response team arrived yesterday. 

The five-member team of emergency response experts, including water engineers and logisticians, will assess the situation and consult with the Chilean government to determine if and how Oxfam can offer assistance. If need be, they will be ready to help local partner organisations respond to the quake.

Jeremy Loveless, Oxfam’s Deputy Humanitarian Director comments; “Even though the severity of the situation is unclear, Oxfam is preparing for the worst. The team flying in have years of experience in responding to earthquakes and Oxfam also has partners in the country who can begin to help immediately.  Chile is a developed country with a very capable government and while it is unlikely that this disaster will be as severe as what we saw last month in Haiti, we want to be in place to help as soon as possible”

Click here to support the work of Oxfam with a regular donation from your pay

Save the Children – We are supporting our partners who are helping those affected by a huge earthquake which struck close to the major city of Concepcion.

Children are always among the most vulnerable in such a huge earthquake – suffering extreme trauma from the disaster, as well as trying to cope with being separated from parents and close family in the chaos, and the loss of their relatives.

Our support will focus specifically on the needs of those children — keeping them safe, and ensuring they can get back to school where possible.

We are also deeply concerned that the poorest communities in the affected areas will suffer the most, with less access to food and shelter. Support to them must be a priority.

Click here to support the work of Save the Children with a regular donation from your pay.

Thank you in advance for your support.