American Red Cross Raising Funds to Assist Chilean Earthquake Victims
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Text Chile to 90999 for a $10 donation
American Red Cross Raising Funds to Assist Chilean Earthquake Victims Text Chile to 90999 for a $10 donation
TUCSON, March 3, 2010 – In response to the International Red Cross’ decision to launch a $6.4 million preliminary emergency appeal for Chile, the American Red Cross is accepting contributions designated for victims of the February 27 Chilean earthquake.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Chile as they cope with the immediate aftermath of this devastating earthquake and its aftershocks,” said Richard White, Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross.
WAYS TO GIVE
People can text the word “CHILE” to 90999 to make a $10 gift. The ten dollars will be added to the persons’ mobile phone bill and all proceeds will go to American Red Cross for Chile Earthquake relief.
Other ways to give:
ABOUT THE RESPONSE EFFORTS
Chilean officials report that more than 2 million people have been affected by the earthquake, 500,000 homes have been seriously damaged and approximately 1.5 million houses may have sustained damage. It is believed that adobe structures and indigenous populations were among the worst affected.
Communications and electricity are progressively being restored in Santiago but still remains out in the hardest hit areas, which is hampering relief operations. Hospitals and health centers are significantly affected, especially in the cities of Concepcion, Talca and Curico where many hospitals are unable to function. The Chilean government will install field hospitals and will launch a health campaign. Major ports have also been damaged and bridges connecting the central regions of the country have collapsed, limiting access to the affected regions.
The Chilean Red Cross is mobilizing its volunteers to distribute food, hygiene articles and blankets to survivors. It has also called upon Chileans to donate blood in order to keep up with demand from hospitals.
When and if the Chilean Red Cross calls upon the American Red Cross for volunteers, we stand ready to respond. A five-member regional Red Cross team of disaster experts is in Chile to provide technical support to Chilean Red Cross response activities and in making damage assessments as well as health, relief and information management. The Chilean government has reported that it will accept international aid in several sectors: field hospitals, tents, telecommunications equipment, electrical generators and search and rescue teams.
For those with relatives in Chile:
The International Committee of the Red Cross has launched a Family Links Website aimed at helping people in Chile and abroad to register the names of relatives with whom they wish to restore contact. People seeking news from their loved ones can register directly on the site at https://www.icrc.org/familylinks.
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