Chile Looks Ahead At
"Enormous Task" In Rebuilding
UNITED NATIONS - Chilean UN Ambassador
Heraldo Munoz said here Friday that with the
"broad estimate" of damage for the quake-hit
South American country being at around 30
billion U.S. dollars, Chile is planning for
the "enormous task" in rebuilding.
"What we have ahead is enormous task of
reconstruction," Munoz told reporters at a
press conference at the UN Headquarters in
New York. "But Chile is standing up -- we
are recuperating."
Providing a picture of the type of
destruction left at Chile, he noted the two
million people who are homeless and the loss
of major infrastructure from highways to
bridges.
Munoz cited the loss of communications, as
well as the breakdown and tearing of fiber
optic cables as a main problem, but
expressed optimism over the international
community's response in their request for
specific items in aid.
Chile formally made their request for aid on
Monday, which has been channeled through the
UN. The targeted list of aid included --
emergency field hospital with surgical
capabilities, mechanical bridges, power
generators and satellite telephones.
There will be a revision to the death toll
as the disappeared were being added to the
confirmed dead, Munoz said. The death toll
will be "less than" 800 people, he said,
adding that he could not reveal the exact
number yet.
"(It will) fortunately be less than
originally expected," Munoz said.
International aid has been provided from
countries, such as China, South Korea,
Japan, Bolivia and the United States among
many, in addition to various humanitarian
organizations and UN agencies who are
dispatching supplies in response to the
request.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in
Santiago, capital of Chile, on Friday and is
scheduled to meet with Chilean President
Michelle Bachelet and President-elect
Sebastian Pinera, and visit the regions most
affected in the Feb. 27 magnitude-8.8
earthquake.
The UN inter-agency disaster technical team
is scheduled to meet for the first time on
Friday at the headquarters of the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC), UN officials said. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
