A massive magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck near the coast of south-central Chile early on February 27th, knocking down buildings, devastating coastal towns and causing blackouts in parts of the capital Santiago, over 200 miles (320 km) away. Over 500 people died and more than 2 million were affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Between 500,000 to 1.5 million homes were damaged or destroyed. Access to food, drinking water and electricity were priority needs. Aftershocks continued for weeks and over 150 were registered between February 27th and March 5th, keeping people in a state of fear.
GlobalMedic recognized the magnitude and widespread destruction of the humanitarian crisis, assessing the situation within 48 hours of the earthquake. Time was essential to ensuring that lives were saved, and the spread of illnesses caused by diseases prevented. A need to provide victims with access to clean drinking water was identified. GlobalMedic responded by providing clean drinking water for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in affected areas in and around Concepcion, Lebu and Constitution.
GlobalMedic responded in partnership with ADRA Chile by deploying 2 members from its Rapid Response Team (RRT), 13 Trekker units and 150,000 Aquatab water purification tablets (1-litre). The RRT trained ADRA personnel on the maintenance and operation of the Trekkers and use of the Aquatabs. ADRA provided logistical support including trucking as well as volunteer support to carry out the programming.
Through a proven track record in providing clean drinking water to disaster victims, GlobalMedic implemented a calculated and efficient mission, successfully addressing the key needs of Chilean beneficiaries and increasing capacity of local stakeholders through increasing disaster preparedness, knowledge and practice of disaster response tools.
