Red Cross responds to strong earthquake in Ecuador

The Red Cross is responding to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador that has so far claimed hundreds of lives and injured more than 588 people.

Hundreds of Ecuador Red Cross volunteers are providing First Aid and supporting search and rescue following the strong earthquake that struck Ecuador’s Pacific coast late on Saturday, April 16. Regional and international Red Cross resources are being mobilised to strengthen the response.

A state of emergency has been declared by the President of Ecuador. Roads have been badly damaged, bridges have collapsed, and power supplies have been affected. A National Disaster Response Team has been deployed to carry out a rapid assessment of the humanitarian needs following the earthquake.

Canadians can make a donation to the Ecuador Earthquake Appeal to support Red Cross response efforts.

Canadian Red Cross Appeals

When we launch an appeal, donations made in response to it are used to help communities and countries identified in the appeal to recover from emergencies and disasters by providing immediate assistance and relief.  Once these urgent needs have been met, we may use any remaining funds in and beyond the region to strengthen resilience to future emergencies and disasters or to provide humanitarian aid in the event that new needs arise.

The fundraising cost related to any emergency appeal will not exceed five per cent. Remaining funds will be used for Red Cross operations to support vulnerable people, families and communities. This includes a small portion of funds, one and a half percent, which ensures the Canadian Red Cross is ready and prepared to respond to future disasters.

AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa