Oxfam’s team of humanitarian workers arrived in Santiago during the early hours of Tuesday morning spearheading the aid agency\u2019s response to Saturday\u2019s devastating earthquake.<\/p>\n
The team of five – consisting of water engineers and logisticians – is heading across to Concepcion today (TUESDAY) by road, fearing the 300-mile journey could take up to 12 hours due to the poor condition of the road.<\/p>\n
As well as sending a team to the disaster-hit area, the organisation is also planning to send a stock of relief supplies from its storage warehouse in Bolivia to Chile.
\nOxfam has a stock of basic emergency supplies in the shape of blankets, water buckets and water filters in Bolivia.\u00a0 Oxfam is looking into how to send these supplies to Chile. On arrival they will be handed over to partner organisations for use where the need is most.<\/p>\n
Once the experienced team members arrive at the affected area, they will start assessing people\u2019s access to clean, fresh drinking water and sanitation facilities. They will also be looking to see whether there is a need for Oxfam to provide emergency shelter.
\nCharlie Rowley, who is heading up Oxfam\u2019s assessment team in Chile, says: \u201cWe are Oxfam’s eyes and ears on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is early days yet but we are here to see how we can make a real difference and do what we can to help the people whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster. We are particularly concerned about people living in the more remote, rural areas as they are least likely to receive immediate assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oxfam\u2019s team in Latin America has been talking to Chilean\u00a0 organisations to get as full a picture as possible of the extent of the damage – particularly in the rural, hard-to-reach areas. Until the assessment is complete, the aid agency is unclear about what its precise role in the relief effort will be.<\/p>\n
ENDS<\/p>\n
Notes to editors:\u00a0
\nMonica Maureira, in Santiago, will be co-ordinating requests for interviews with the assessment team. Call her on\u00a0 00 56 99 95 94156 and 00 56 29186693. Monica will also be available for interview in Spanish.<\/p>\n