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UN Calls for More Salvador Quake Aid
The United Nations on Friday called for millions of dollars in additional emergency relief to quake-ravaged El Salvador, warning that the country could face economic ruin if aid does not begin to flow quickly.
"If we don't provide life-saving humanitarian aid in the country soon, we could witness the collapse of the economy down the road," UN World Food Program (WFP) spokeswoman Abby Spring told Reuters in a telephone interview from San Salvador.
The small Central American nation of 6.2 million was devastated by two quakes within a month -- on Jan. 13 and on Feb. 13 -- that killed 1,158 people and left some 1 million homeless.
The WFP, which last year fed around 90 million victims of natural disasters across more than 80 countries, was pledged some $10 million in emergency aid after the first quake.
But 40 days and another devastating tremor later, just over $2 million has trickled in from three countries: Germany, the United States and Canada.
According to UN estimates, the twin tremors have set El Salvador's economic growth back by at least five years, and rebuilding lost housing stock could take another two decades.
"The hope is that the world community will refocus on El Salvador, and provide much needed aid to jump-start the economy and allow the poorest to get back on their feet," Spring said.
"UN agencies believe it will cost at minimum $2 billion to reconstruct the basic livelihood of the nation's people," she added.
In renewing its appeal for quake aid, the United Nations raised the target for relief funds by $5.5 million to $40.5 million.
"The renewed appeal reflects the impact of the second quake on the people of El Salvador," Spring said, adding that a further 100,000 people had been affected by the second quake and were in urgent need of food.
"The sad news for the poorest in El Salvador is that today they are faced with the nearly impossible decision of either feeding their families or rebuilding their homes," she said.
(www.chinadaily.com.cn)
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