Chile Government Requests Aid, Backs Off Earlier Statement

Chile's government has requested help from foreign governments and NGOs as the extent of the devastation wreaked from Saturday morning's earthquake became clearer.

Chile had initially said that the country did not need outside help, but as hundreds of thousands of buildings have been discovered destroyed and many areas found inaccessible due to damaged roads, the national government has appealed for aid.

The United Nations says they are now being asked for "generators, water filtration equipment and field hospitals," in addition to analysts to assess the damage.

From The New York Times:

The quake has also exposed the fact, experts say, that although Chile is one of the most developed countries in the region, it is also one of the most unequal, with huge pockets of urban and rural poor, who suffered most in the quake.

"It's the poorest Chileans who live near the epicenter," said Carolina Bank, a Chilean-born sociology professor at Brooklyn College.

Many of Chile's poorest residents say the government has been slow to respond -- and many are living outside in tents with no food or water, echoing the humanitarian crisis persisting in Haiti.

Fortunately, many of the same humanitarian organizations bringing aid to Haiti are in Chile, and you can give to their efforts. The proximity of these crises highlights the danger of earmarking funds for one place. For example, if an organization has a surplus of money designated for Haiti, it cannot be moved over to Chile, even if the same group has a presence there and the money is needed. For this reason, organizations will often request that donations go to their general fund so the money can be spent wherever help is needed.

Comments

[BobSF94117]

04:57 PM on 03/02/2010

There should be an international treaty that allows countries to IGNORE governments when they say help is not needed and start the flow of tents, food, water, search & rescue teams, etc. as soon as a natural disaster strikes.

What country HASN'T needed help? No country has a reserve of tents, field hospitals, etc. waiting in the wings. We found that out with Katrina.

[climbing panda]

02:44 PM on 03/02/2010

where's danny glover to declare this a consequence of climate change?

[tones]

02:23 PM on 03/02/2010

Its to late they wont get the donations haiti got. There govt dragged their heels and now chile is basically background noise to the media in the US.

Also like the other guy has said all these reports saying that they are far better off is going to also screw them.

The time for the world to act for chillies has passed and its chilies govt own fault

[charmante]

11:43 PM on 03/01/2010

I am a first and for all a humanist.

However, i despised some in the MSM particularly AP who seek t to sow divisions among racial lines:

According to the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/world/americas/02chile.html?hp

"A growing perception has begun to set in among many residents that the country was not as well prepared as it had thought.
In Santiago, the capital, those left homeless after their brand-new and supposedly earthquake-resistant apartments suffered severe structural damage were furious. Chileans are wondering aloud why food is not getting to the hungry faster and why the politicians and soldiers seem to have been caught flatfooted."

Without having all the facts, the MSM (AP, TIME, NEWSWEEK) and even this site started to proclaim how well prepared was Chile while Haiti was not.

This comparison was unfair, unecessary.

The people of Haiti have never caused harms to anyone despite the fact they have suffered many injustices. They make do with little to nothing.

Let me make it clear, I RESENT the type of HATE that have been directed towards them in the MSM and by some segments of WESTERN society.

IT IS COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR!!!!