Ecuador - IOM Director General William Lacy Swing has approved the release of USD 100,000 from IOM’s Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism (MEFM) to kick-start activities to help people affected by the earthquake that struck Ecuador’s Pacific coast over the weekend.

According to latest reports from the Ecuadorian authorities, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the largest in decades, has resulted in at least 353 deaths, 2,658 injured and an estimated 40,000 displaced. Numbers of those affected are expected to rise, with many communities still inaccessible following the disaster. 

IOM has deployed a Regional Rapid Response Team of experts in Shelter and Camp Coordination and Camp Management to support the international humanitarian response, following the government’s declaration of a state of emergency in six of Ecuador’s 24 provinces and its request for international assistance.

IOM already works closely with the Government of Ecuador in the area of disaster preparedness and response.

“As the extent of the damage unfolds, humanitarian coordination in support of national efforts is key to save lives and minimize displacement,” said IOM Ecuador Chief of Mission Damien Thuriaux. “IOM’s current focus is to promote government leadership in key areas of the response, including displacement tracking, shelter management and camp coordination and camp management.”

IOM in Ecuador has been carrying out a series of capacity building trainings for national authorities given Ecuador’s susceptibility to natural disasters. They have included preparedness training for potential displacement due to volcanic activity and the impact of el Niño.

Participants have included government ministries and departments, first responders and other stakeholders, including agencies in the currently affected area. Government stakeholders were also trained in Mass Evacuations in Natural Disasters (MEND) and Camp Management and Camp Coordination (CCCM).

For further information please contact Jimena Almeida at IOM Ecuador, Tel: + 5932-393 4400, Ext.117, Mobile: 5939-996 66 640, Email: jalmeida@iom.int