More than one-sixth of El Salvador's population
were directly affected by the devastating earthquake that struck on 13
January, and many of them are in need of continued assistance, the results
of Red Cross assessments across the country show.
"This disaster has had a profound
impact on the country," says Iain Logan, leader of the Federation's
FACT assessment team. "More then one million people have been directly
affected, with some 500,000 people now homeless."
The scale of the devastation is now becoming clear as Red Cross teams have completed their initial assessments, including reports from remote communities where access continues to be difficult. The official death toll now stands at 726. More than 180,000 houses were damaged in the earthquake, of which 75,000 were completely destroyed.
The International Federation launched an appeal for 5.4 million Swiss francs on 24 January for the provision of assistance to more than 150,000 people who have been displaced by the disaster.
With more than 2,000 aftershocks registered since the earthquake, many people are still afraid to move back to their homes. The Salvadorean Red Cross will assist 100,000 people over the next three months who are either unable or afraid to move back to their homes and are currently sheltering either with family, friends or even in front of their damaged homes.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, the Salvadorean Red Cross will take over responsibility for coordinating relief shelters across the country. Assistance will focus on basic health care and health education, water and sanitation, psychological support and food assistance.
There are 130 shelters scattered across the country established in schools, churches and public buildings, which are now housing an estimated 50,000 people. The largest shelter is the "El Cafetelon" shelter which is a temporary home to more then 5,000 people from the community of Las Colinas in Santa Tecla. Las Colinas, where a landslide triggered by the earthquake killed 315 people, was one of the areas most affected by the earthquake.
"Those living in precarious conditions in temporary and makeshift shelters are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria and diarrhoeal diseases." said Dr. Fidel Font Sierra, Senior Health Officer for the International Federation. Mobile community health brigades will be formed to focus on prevention and early treatment of communicable diseases, health promotion and epidemiological surveillance.
A committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Salvadorian Red Cross, the Pan American Health Organisation and the International Federation will coordinate the supply of relief goods to the shelters with other agencies. Water/sanitation aid and food baskets for the shelters will be determined according to the Sphere Project, which defines minimum standards in humanitarian assistance.
Relief items have been arriving by air and on land from sister Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from the region and around the world. A logistics delegate has been providing support to the handling of relief goods ensuring the tracking of all in-kind donations received as part of the International Federation's appeal. There are currently delegates from 12 National Societies in the country along with eight delegates from the International Federation
"We are heartened by the great work which has been done by the Salvadorean Red Cross in response to this disaster, "said Mr. Santiago Gil, Head of the Americas Department of the International Federation. Within minutes of the earthquake Red Cross rescue teams were mobilized to affected areas. Since then, more than 2,200 Red Cross volunteers have been active around the country in search and rescue, first aid, emergency food distribution and damage assessment. During the emergency phase of the earthquake relief operation, the first seven days following the disaster, more than 60,000 people benefited from Red Cross help.