CHILE: On the night of Tuesday, April 1, a strong earthquake of magnitude 8.2 occurred 79 kilometers from the city of Iquique, Chile, at a depth of 10 kilometers. There have been interruptions in telephone services and power outages in the area, as well as blackouts in Iquique and Arica, blockage of roads due to fallen rocks from the hills, and a slight loosening of the Morro de Arica. The Chilean Red Cross has activated its National Emergency Operations Center and is in contact with its branches in the northern part of the country in order to keep monitoring the situation. The Red Cross remains on alert to monitor the evolution of this situation and provide the necessary support.
INTERNATIONAL: In the last five years (2009 – 2013), the IFRC Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was called upon on 20 occasions to provide emergency financial support to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Americas and Asia to respond to dengue outbreaks. The fund has allowed these National Societies to carry out immediate action to reduce the incidence of cases of dengue amongst the most vulnerable and at-risk communities.