DAVID ADAMS reports on the going relief and rescue efforts taking place in Ecuador following last Saturday’s massive earthquake…
The death toll continues to rise in Ecuador as relief and rescue efforts continue in the South American nation following a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the country last weekend.
At least 600 people were killed in the quake – the country’s worst in decades – and thousands have been injured. Dozens of people are still missing but authorities were still hopeful on Thursday this week that more people may yet be found alive.
Thousands of buildings were destroyed in the earthquake which struck off the Pacific coast at about 7pm local time last Saturday night.
Among the buildings damaged were homes, businesses, schools and hospitals – two of which collapsed completely – while hundreds more buildings have been at least partially damaged.
Infrastructure, including roads, has been further damaged by mudslides which, along with hundreds of aftershocks including a 6.0 magnitude quake on Thursday, have come in the wake of the quake.
The damage has been estimated in the billions of dollars.
President Rafael Correa, who has described the earthquake as the “greatest tragedy” to hit his country in the past 67 years, said in a televised address on Wednesday night he would raise sales taxes and put a one-off levy on millionaires to help pay for reconstruction efforts.
The UN said this week more than 720,000 people have been affected by the quake.
Stephen O’Brien, the top UN relief official who spent two days in the country this week, said many people lost homes and livelihoods in the earthquake but added that he was impressed by the “resilient spirit” of people he encountered.
Visiting coastal towns and the inland town of Portoviejo, he said he met many people who were living in the open or sheltering in the remains of homes, exposed to the weather.
“Medical facilities and items are urgently needed for people who are injured, as well as food, clean water and basic sanitation,” he said.
The UN has allocated $7 million from the organisation’s Central Emergency Response Fund to “kick start” operations in logistics, shelter, water, santitation, hygiene and emergency health.”
One of the major concerns now surrounds the spread of disease due to water and sanitation conditions, particularly in coastal areas which are already considered hotspots for diseases like Zika viris, Dengue fever and malaria.
UN child-focused agency UNICEF said this week more than 150,000 people have been affected by the disaster.
Grant Leaity, UNICEF’s representative in Ecuador, said this week those offering relief were in a “race against time” to protect children from disease and other risks.
World Vision, which has worked in the country for almost 40 years, has already established child friendly spaces where children could be kept safe during ongoing search and rescue operations.
The organisation has also delivered relief supplies, including food, water, tents and toiletries to affected areas.
Speaking from Portoviejo, Santiago Mosquera, World Vision Ecuador’s communications manager, was struck by the scale of the destruction.
“Nobody ever would have imagined seeing Portoviejo as it is now,” he said.
“There are places where everything has collapsed, places I knew and visited before, that no longer exist. What moves me to tears is to see so much support and love in Ecuador and from other countries.”
The earthquake in Ecuador followed in the wake of two strong earthquakes in Japan – the last of which shook the country last Saturday morning. More than 40 people were killed in the Japan earthquakes.
