Summary:
This operation aims to provide relief distributions for 10,000 families, emergency and/or transitional shelter for 10,000 households, emergency and preventive health for at least 90,000 people, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion for a minimum of 10,000 households, early recovery livelihoods support, enhancement of disaster preparedness and risk management skills for the National Society and community-based groups. The strengthening of the Chilean Red Cross is a cross-cutting objective which is enhanced by all the other actions conducted within this operation.
During this past week, the pace of some relief and reconstruction activities was reduced, due to the religious holidays. Local media reported on the incorporation of remembrance actions in different religious ceremonies held during the celebration of Christian holy week. The slow-down in relief distributions during the religious holidays gave more opportunity to continue trainings for CRC volunteers and collaborators in the areas of health, water and sanitation and IT/ Telecom.
To date, 4,412 family kits have been distributed in the regions of Maule and Bío-Bío. The first 1,000 improvement kits for emergency and early recovery shelter units are being tendered and procured. It is projected that up to 8,300 families will receive support for the improvement of their shelter needs in addition to the 1,700 families that will receive a family tent, at least one tarpaulin, rope and flyers with basic instructions.
The Finnish Red Cross/ Norwegian Red Cross surgical hospital donated to the local hospital in Pitrufquén is now fully operational. The Japanese Red Cross Society Emergency Response Unit (ERU) has handed over its basic health care (BHC) unit in Parral to the Parral hospital. A Japanese Red Cross Society team member has remained in the region, in bilateral support, to assist the Parral hospital. The second rotation of the Spanish Red Cross BHC ERU is fully in place. As of 4 April 2010, this BHC ERU has provided medical attention to 2,040 people. The psychosocial support team composed of ten members from the Spanish Red Cross, two from the Ecuadorian Red Cross, one from the Colombian Red Cross Society and one from the Nicaraguan Red Cross have ended their mission and have handed over the full-range of their activities and responsibilities to the Chilean Red Cross.
Moreover, detailed water and sanitation assessments for Maule and Bío-Bío were completed. Providing a proposal for future actions in this area, the CRC water and sanitation team, with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is moving forward with the water, sanitation and hygiene actions.
The IT/ Telecom team has established a strategic plan for this operation which has been shared within the CRC, to sister National Societies and the IFRC. This plan charts the path for establishing VHF and HF radio bases in Santiago, Talca and Concepción.
The Chilean Red Cross and the International Federation express their sincere gratitude to the generous National Societies, individual, institutional and corporate donors who have contributed to this appeal. In the interest of complying with all the proposed objectives of this appeal, new donations are encouraged and needed. Whilst the appeal has reached 46 per cent coverage, all support of this appeal contributes to responding to the humanitarian relief and early recovery needs of the most vulnerable populations in Chile.
Like all the International Federation operations, the Chile Earthquake Operation aims to save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises; enable healthy and safe living; and promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace.