World Vision assesses damage in small towns in Chile, works to rush relief supplies to 25,000 survivors
Photos by World Vision staff.
UPDATE: On March 7, World Vision opened a new children's center in Dichato, Chile, which was devastated by the Feb. 27 deadly earthquake and tsunamis.
The children's centers, called Child-Friendly-Spaces, are areas set up in tents, schools, churches, and other structures where children can enjoy activities such as arts, crafts, music, and drama, which provide them with some of the structure and safety that they lose following disasters. There are also opportunities for them to talk to peers and psychologists to begin emotional healing after their frightening experiences.
Meanwhile, whole towns are "completely destroyed" or have "totally disappeared" following the deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake, report World Vision's teams, following assessments of the humanitarian needs in small towns and outlying areas. World Vision is working to distribute relief items to 25,000 survivors, but faces logistical challenges as roads remain impassable.
Assessment teams report that many people continue to live on the streets and in tents. In coastal cities, tsunamis have sent many people into the hills and away from their towns. Aftershocks continue to threaten structures and fray nerves. And supplies are low nearly everywhere.
'I've never seen anything like this'
After being struck by three tsunami waves, the city of Coliumo, 70 miles from Concepcion, has "totally disappeared," reported World Vision assessment team member Paula Saez.
A Chilean national, Saez recently returned from Haiti, where she served in the early stages of World Vision's relief response to the Jan. 12 earthquake there.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Saez, arriving in Dichato, a tourist and fishing town 40 miles north of Concepcion. "This town was completely destroyed. A tsunami hit here after the quake, and there are boats sitting in the middle of the city. The earthquake damaged some things, but the sea took everything away. You can see chairs, tables, even a house floating in the sea."
In Dichato, World Vision staff members report that food, clean water, and medical supplies are virtually depleted. In Coronel, 20 miles south of Concepcion, World Vision estimates that food supplies will last one more week. And in Lota, some 25 miles south of Concepcion, residents have access to clean water for only one hour per day.
Relief efforts to intensify
Our staff members will continue to conduct assessments of more small towns while relief teams work to bring supplies, particularly food and water, to underserved communities. Damaged roads into these cities make access impossible except via helicopter or small plane, so logistics continue to pose challenges.
We are working to bring relief supplies to 25,000 families in Lota and Coronel, and to additional families in Dichato. Our teams have already distributed water in Telmuco and are working to bring in additional supplies from Santiago and from our relief warehouse in La Paz, Bolivia.
World Vision has been working in Chile for 30 years and had more than 100 staff members on the ground before the quake hit, many of whom lived and worked in areas close to the epicenter. We have worked extensively in the south of Concepcion as well as in the capital of Santiago. Our teams began distributing blankets and water containers nearly immediately following the quake.
Three ways you can help
Please pray for the children, families, and communities devastated by the earthquake in Chile, and for the efforts of relief teams like World Vision to bring critical, life-saving assistance in the aftermath. Check back for further updates as they become available.
Donate now to World Vision's Chile Earthquake Relief Fund. Your gift will help our teams deliver assistance to quake survivors in desperate need, including emergency food, clean water, and family survival kits.
Sponsor a child in Chile. Your love and support for a child in need will provide basic essentials and help him or her be better equipped to cope with present and future disasters, like the recent quake.