Persbericht
Rode Kruis start hulpverlening voor slachtoffers aardbeving in El
Salvador
Onmiddellijk na het bekend worden van de zware aardbeving in El
Salvador is de hulpverlening van het plaatselijke en het
Internationale Rode Kruis van start gegaan. Wij bezorgen U hierbij de
tekst van een persbericht van het Internationale Rode Kruis.
Verdere informatie zal worden door gegeven zodra deze ons bereikt.
Xavier Castellanos, informatieafgevaardigde van het Internationale
Rode Kruis is ondertussen in San Salvador aangekomen en kan daar
telefonisch gecontacteerd worden voor nadere inlichtingen op het
nummer +503 848 45 45.
Hij heeft reeds heel wat digitaal beeldmateriaal doorgegeven aan
Genève. Dit kan bekomen worden bij de persdienst van de Internationale
Federatie.
De contactpersoon is Christopher Black on +41 79 416 3881 of email
blackc@ifrc.org.
In de loop van morgen zal meer informatie verschijnen op de website
van de Internationale Federatie: http://www.ifrc.org/news/.
RED CROSS PRIORITISES SEARCH AND RESCUE ACTIVITY IN EL SALVADOR
EARTHQUAKE
Over 1,000 Red Cross staff and volunteers have been working round the
clock on search and rescue activities in several disaster sites
throughout El Salvador since an earthquake (7.9 on the Richter Scale)
struck at 11.34 local time (17.34 UTC) on January 13.
Today, much of the rescue effort is focussing on Las Colinas in the
province of La Libertad where a landslide is feared to have killed
many residents as it buried up to 500 homes. More than 1,000 people
are missing. The death toll is now placed at 176 people and some 500
injured but reports have still to come in from some Red Cross units
around the country.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
has released Swiss francs 200,000 to support the initial rescue effort
and a detailed assessment of emerging needs among the survivors is
also taking place with an emphasis on shelter, drinking water and
sanitation needs. A decision will be taken later today with the El
Salvador Red Cross on the size of the initial appeal.
The El Salvador Red Cross is appealing for blood donations and is keeping its blood bank services running 24 hours per day while Red Cross ambulance and first aid services continue to deal with hundreds of injured. Tracing services are also being allocated high priority.
The six worst affected Departments are La Libertad, San Miguel, Santa
Ana (where a church collapsed during Mass and rescue efforts are still
underway), La Paz, San Salvador and Che.
National Red Cross Societies throughout the Americas and abroad have
pledged assistance to the El Salvador Red Cross.
"This is the worst disaster to have hit the region since Hurricane
Mitch two years ago and we will be making considerable resources
available to support the relief efforts over the coming days," said
Mr. Santiago Gil, head of the International Federation's Americas
Department.
Tuur Hoste, Communicatie, tel. 02-645 45 45, gsm 0476-50 50 58
Leen Tullen, Perszaken, tel. 02-645 45 01, gsm 0475-64 00 23
Brussel, 14 januari 2001