Aftermath of Earthquake in Chile

According to the BBC, in the aftermath of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 27, Chileans are increasingly frustrated with the government’s response to the  displaced citizens. One of the areas devastated  by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami was the province of Concepción. BBC correspondent Will Grant commented, “For days, we have seen trucks loaded with drinking water, basic food, and mattresses on their way to the city, yet there was scant evidence of any major aid distribution on the ground.”

Many of the civilians from Concepcion reside in tent villages throughout the province. The civilians have seen supplies brought in, but many have not yet received them. In response to the civilians’ bitterness, the BBC quotes Colonel Ramirez, who oversees the loading of supplies, as saying, “This is exemplary, a model of the kind of cooperation between the military and civil society which we must repeat everywhere if we’re to overcome this catastrophe.” According to the BBC, 400 government trucks, along with 16,000 tons of emergency supplies have reached the town.

Paulo Gutierrez, a government aid worker in charge of delivering aid, told the BBC, “I can understand the feelings of the people who say we’ve reacted slowly. But at the same time, this was a disaster of such magnitude that the government has also never had to deal with an event like this before.”

The majority of the civilians do not agree with this statement, as one woman asked the BBC, “Where are our brothers? Where is our help? There are people drinking contaminated river water here, there are people who are ill. But there’s been no doctors, no fresh water, nothing.” The regions most affected, like Concepión, remain on the brink of hysteria and tension.

 Chile’s new president, Sebastian Pinera, addressed the government’s response to the earthquake on his first day of office. He advocated for using loans and savings towards aid, as well as requesting foreign aid. President Pinera announced at a news conference on Friday that the Chilean government would form a special fund for rebuilding the devastated areas. The BBC also reported President Pinera’s preparation of an emergency bill and reconstruction law. The BBC reported him as saying, “ The country’s 2010 budget will be adjusted or reflect our needs and the reality on the ground.”

The income from Chile’s production of copper, the world’s largest producer of the metal, would also help raise sufficient funds. The global insurance industry will still need to contribute large payments. The reinsurance company, Germany’s Munich Re, estimates it will have to pay out around $543 million, but will continue to take in a large profit for the year. Swiss Re told the BBC that their losses form Chile’s earthquake would come to about $500 million. An asset for Chile remains to be their stable economy, which will aid them in getting the necessary funding to rebuild the affected provinces.

According to the BBC, President Pinera addressed the residents of the city of Rancagua by saying, “I want to tell all Chileans that the government will always respond in an effective and timely manner in catastrophes such as the one we have witnessed in order to save all the lives that we can and so that we can quickly reach those people needing help.”