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Panama, Geneva, 27 March 2010
Psychological support remains vital one month after Chile
earthquake
As Chilean Red Cross relief distributions to families affected by the massive earthquake that struck central
Chile on 27 February continue to gain momentum, special emphasis is being given to psychological support
for people traumatized by continuing strong aftershocks.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has sent international health
teams to support the Chilean Red Cross operation.
More than 200 aftershocks measuring above 5 on the Richter scale have been reported since the disaster a
month ago. “These strong tremors are particularly distressing to people trying to recover from the trauma of
having lost family members and friends, homes, and livelihoods,” explains Gustavo Ramirez, IFRC regional
representative, currently in Chile. “People who live in the coastal areas are not only afraid of the aftershocks
but also of any possible tsunamis they may trigger, and even people whose homes have been assessed as
being safe are afraid of staying indoors. They wonder whether these aftershocks will ever end.”
The 14-member psychological support team provided by the Spanish Red Cross, supported by staff from the
Red Cross Societies of Colombia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, as well as by Chilean Red Cross volunteers, have
treated nearly 1,700 adults and children since the disaster. They are working in the region of Maule, and in
Santiago. In addition to holding therapeutic sessions with different groups of people affected by the disaster,
with a special emphasis on children, they are also training Red Cross volunteers.
To ensure people have access to health care in areas where hospitals have been destroyed, several emergency
response units have been set up in the affected regions. The basic health care unit (BHC) from the Spanish
Red Cross has treated nearly 1,200 people in Hualañé (Maule region). A second BHC unit sent by the
Japanese Red Cross has been set up in Parral (Bio-Bío region) and the surgical field hospital from the Red
Cross Societies of Finland and Norway, seconded by Canadian Red Cross staff, is being set up in Pitrufquén
(Araucanía region). These facilities will all be turned over to local staff over the next weeks.
Chilean Red Cross volunteers also continue their vital work, conducting assessments, supporting health
teams, receiving and packing donated goods, transporting them to the affected areas and distributing food,
hygiene articles and emergency items to survivors. To date, more than 2,300 households (11,600 people)
have received kitchen utensils, hygiene articles, blankets, jerry cans and tarpaulins, in the Maule and Bío-Bío
regions.
The IFRC revised emergency appeal calls for 13 million Swiss francs (12.9 million US dollars / 9.4 million
Euros) to fund health services for up to 90,000 people, shelter assistance for 10,000 families (50,000 people),
relief items for 75,000 people as well as water and sanitation services for up to 10,000 people, for one year.
To date, only a third of the appeal’s budget has been covered. “We are appealing to donors for funding, to
ensure that we can cover not only the emergency needs and early recovery activities, but also support longterm, sustainable Red Cross disaster preparedness programmes. We want to do this not just in the area that
was affected by the last earthquake, but all over the country. This is an essential objective for us,” adds
Gustavo Ramirez.
For more information, or to set up interviews, please contact:
In Panama,
Manuel Rodriguez, PADRU information officer,
Tel: + 56 990 49 86 13 / + 507 66 794 334
Pilar Forcen, communications manager, Americas zone, Panama Tel: + 507 380 0266 /+ 507 66 723 170
Rodolfo Bergantino, information officer, Panama
Tel: + 507 380 0266 /+ 507 66 707 365
In Geneva,
Marie-Françoise Borel, communications officer
Tel: + 41 79 217 33 45
The International Federation, the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of
the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For further information,
please visit our web site: www.ifrc.org / www.cruzroja.org / www.caribbeanredcross.org