Earthquake Chile: "The fishermen lost everything"
Monday, March 8, 2010
By: Tom Gamull

Malteser International provides emergency relief and sustainable rehabilitation

Santiago de Chile/Cologne. Today, Kathrin Meier, Malteser International expert for Chile, has reached Santiago de Chile with pills for the treatment of 17,000 litres of drinking water and further relief goods in her luggage. On behalf of Malteser International, the relief service of the Order of Malta for worldwide humanitarian aid, she will support the emergency relief of the Chilean Association of the Order and its relief service “Auxilio Maltés” for the survivors of the devastating earthquake and the following tsunami and furthermore assess the needs and possibilities for sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

 

In order to alleviate the acute suffering, Chilean Malteser teams are distributing blankets, diapers and food in an area situated on the coast around the little town of Licantén. In addition, they have the possibility to send a team with doctors and medicines to this region. The Chilean Association furthermore plans to support the reconstruction of a whole village situated on the coast south from Talca. “The fishermen there lost their boats, their nets, their little houses, everything”, Archduchess Alexandra von Habsburg de Riesle, Ambassador of the Order of Malta to Chile, reports from the crisis region.

 

On 27 February, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter scale struck off the Chilean coast with the epicentre 115 km (70 miles) north-east of Concepción and 325 km south-west of Santiago and was followed by a devastating tsunami. Hundreds of people lost their lives, several hundred thousands lost their houses and their belongings.

 

Attention editors: Kathrin Meier, Malteser International expert for Chile, is available for interviews. Contact: +49 (0) 221 9822-155.

 

 

Malteser International is the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta for humanitarian aid. The organisation provides aid in about 200 projects in more than 20 countries without distinction of religion, race or political persuasion. Christian values and the humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence are the foundation of its work. For further information: www.malteser-international.org and www.orderofmalta.org

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