2010-06-22
Follow-up Assessment: Chile Earthquake Emergency Relief

For the follow-up assessment on AMDA’s rehabilitative assistance for Chile Earthquake, on June 10th AMDA Headquarters sent one nurse to Talca and Constitucion in the Seventh Maule Province, Chile. During her week-long visit, AMDA nurse revisited the disaster sites and assessed the recoveries of the local conditions. AMDA initially dispatched its relief team in March and made an effort in maintaining infant health and hygiene.

In Talca, AMDA nurse revisited Talca’s army base and UCM (Universidad Catrica Maule)-both collaborated with AMDA’s in its earlier relief efforts- to discuss upcoming follow-up project in September. It will be initiated on Sept. 18th in accordance with Chile’s Independence Day. Chileans are very much looking forward to this Memorial Day that marks the 200th anniversary of the country’s independence with the expectations to heal the grief of the people.

In Constitucion, AMDA nurse visited a local evacuation camp with AMDA’s contributors to assess the aftermath of the disaster in the coastal areas. The group visited local homes to conduct interviews with the residents.

According to AMDA nurse, more temporal shelters (made of wood) were built in Constitucion in the last three and a half months, however, basic infrastructures have not yet recovered; water is still being supplied by water trucks and people need to rely on portable toilets. No kitchens are available in the temporal houses so that the residents either build them by themselves or use charcoals to cook outside. The overall living conditions have somewhat improved but they are still far from good.

People looked fatigued than ever due to prolonged evacuation life and frequent aftershocks, and current rainy season seemed to be affecting their lives even more. However, the locals claimed that they like rain because it “helps to cultivate the crops.”

Amidst the despair, AMDA nurse found a glimpse of hope in the following words of one local lady: “What we need? We need everything from rice to bread to sugar to….everything! But what we really need is “esperanza”-a hope and positive will to overcome this adversity.”

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