UPDATE: MARCH 15, 2010

The Resource Foundation Mobilizes to Assist Victims of Chile’s 8.8-magnitude Earthquake

On Saturday, February 27th, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile. The quake, the fifth largest ever measured, has had a devastating impact on the country’s infrastructure, destroying major highways, schools, buildings and hospitals, and leaving thousands of families homeless. Since then, more than 450 aftershocks have rocked the country, all with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater.

The earthquake was felt across Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. Official estimates place the number of fatalities at 802, and the number of displaced persons at 2,000,000. The quake has left countless victims both in the country’s urban and rural areas. Coastal towns were severely damaged as a result of the quake and the following tsunami. Rural communities, particularly across the Maule region, have experienced delays in receiving relief assistance due to damaged infrastructure.

In the city of Concepción, one of the hardest hit areas, electricity has finally been restored, but water and the repair of water infrastructure remains an issue.  With repeated aftershocks, structures that were initially believed to be unaffected have sustained damage, posing ongoing threats to safety. The Chilean government has declared a State of Catastrophe and is responding with first-stage humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts. Challenges to relief and recovery efforts include the impending rains and the transition to a new government administration with the inauguration of Sebastián Piñera, which took place on Thursday, March 11th.

The Resource Foundation (TRF) has contacted its network of organizations in Chile, including Fundación Origen, Fundación Santa Clara, CreArte, Un Techo para Chile, and others, to assess the need and determine emergency relief plans.

So far, TRF has obtained the following information:

Fundación Origen

Fundación Origen, TRF’s Chilean affiliate, sustained heavy damage to its structure, as did its students and their families’ homes. Origen estimates that it will need to $60,000 to rebuild and repair some of its school buildings. The needs of the families it supports and the communities it hopes to reach will continue to grow and are likely to exceed the above amount. Origen's teachers are currently visiting its students' families to assess their needs, and the school has launched a campaign to help its students’ families.

Origen has also extended assistance to the rural farming community of Río Claro in Chile's Maule region, one of the country's most affected regions due to its proximity to the earthquake’s epicenter. This support is vital because Río Claro, like many other rural communities, has not yet been reached by mainstream aid agencies.  Maule’s 13,000 residents have lost most of their belongings and many continue searching for their loves ones. Approximately 80% of the homes in this area have been severely damaged and residents are struggling to gain access to basic needs like food and water.

Origen is collaborating with the municipality of Puente Alto to bring assistance to Río Claro, to which six truckloads of food, milk for children, diapers, blankets, clothing and other basic supplies have already been delivered. At the moment, the possibility of temporary housing is being studied with a focus on ensuring that the shelters are sturdy enough to withstand heavy rainfall and cold temperatures as the region moves into the fall/winter season.  Origen’s approach is forward-looking and it seeks to develop a recovery plan that will be sustainable and have a long term impact.

Fundación Origen operates an innovative agro-industrial high school and teacher training center in Pirque, Chile, that provides highly-vulnerable youth with the opportunity to grow and thrive. Origen supports economic and social development in neighboring communities and provides technical assistance to rural farmers across the country.

To learn more about what Fundación Origen is doing on the ground please click here>>

Hogar de Cristo

Hogar de Cristo is a Chilean nonprofit founded in 1944 to provide support and assistance to disadvantaged individuals throughout the country. Through the organization's 12 sites across the country, it provides a broad range of social services to the most impoverished individuals and families. Its reach is further strengthened through its network of affiliated foundations, which focus specifically on microcredit, housing, youth and support for persons with disabilities. 

Using its existing infrastructure, Hogar de Cristo has been able to quickly reach the communities in Southern Chile that have been hardest hit by the earthquake. Its immediate relief efforts have focused on providing food and shelter to people in affected areas, particularly children and senior citizens. Hogar de Cristo is supporting earthquake victims with hot meals and temporary shelter as well as providing basic supplies such as food, diapers, blankets and clothing. The organization is currently formulating a mid- to long-term relief strategy that will leverage its network and provide support to needy communities.

Un Techo para mi País

Un Techo para mi País is a Chilean nonprofit founded in 1997 and present in 14 countries of Latin America that works to provide housing solutions and facilitate social inclusion and empowerment to low-income families. Un Techo began relief and reconstruction efforts immediately after the earthquake in order to provide shelter to affected families. It has already constructed 300 transitional houses for earthquake victims. Over the next four months, Un Techo will build a total of 20,000 houses in the areas of Rancagua, Constitución, Concepción, Talca, Arauco and Bío Bío in coordination with local governments and municipalities..

Please support the victims of Chile’s devastating earthquake. Give today >>