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Red Cross helps quake victims
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Posted on Feb 01 1999
More than 1,000 Colombian Red Cross relief workers are working around-the-clock rescuing those buried by landslides after a tremendous magnitude 6 earthquake Monday razed cities and towns in western Colombia. Colombian Red Cross workers are also distributing emergency relief and supporting first aid, evacuation and sheltering efforts.
The earthquake that erupted 20 miles beneath the earth’s surface rocked Colombia’s coffee region. The Colombian Red Cross is assessing the widespread damage and responding throughout the region.
Relief efforts continued through the night into today as a sense of urgency developed to local survivors. The Colombian Red Cross is also collecting blood from residents to assist beleaguered hospital staff inundated with injured. The Colombian Red Cross is utilizing helicopters and commercial aircraft to shuttle injured to area hospitals.
The American Red Cross is sending a representative to Colombia to assist in assessment of the damage. Douglas Allen, American Red Cross international emergency response staff member, is leaving today to work with the Colombian Red Cross to assess the needs and determine how the American Red Cross can help.
“The Colombian Red Cross is expert in search and rescue and extremely capable in carrying out disaster relief,” Allen said. “The disaster management system was developed in partnership with the American Red Cross based on our national system.
The Colombian Red Cross, with 2,000 paid staff and 80,000 volunteers, is “well trained and capable,” Allen said. “It is one of the strongest societies in the region,” he said.
The earthquake prone country has experienced several devastating quakes this century, including a 1994 tremor that killed 800, worldwide there are around more than 1,500 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 and greater.
“We are extremely concerned for Colombians affected by this disaster” said Jose Aponte, vice president of International Services of the American Red Cross. “Once needs are assessed the American Red Cross will do whatever we can to assist our neighbors”.
