The IOM Mission in Chile is in contact with civil society partners
to assess the situation and needs of vulnerable migrant
communities.

IOM civil society partners are visiting communities with large
migrant populations in the Santiago metropolitan area to obtain
information on the needs and are providing basic relief, including
food rations.  Their preliminary findings have identified 165
families whose lodgings have been destroyed. 

Based on their findings, IOM, in coordination with civil society
partners, will develop a plan of action to assist vulnerable
migrants with shelter, food, medicine and other basic
needs. 

Some Peruvian families have indicated that they may be
interested in returning to their country.  IOM stands ready to
provide voluntary return assistance to those who have been severely
affected and may need urgent assistance to return home.

At least 723 people have been confirmed dead and 2 million
affected by the 8.8-magnitude quake, which hit the Chilean coast
325km south-west of the capital Santiago on 27 February 2010.

Priority needs identified by the Government of Chile include
field hospitals with surgery facilities, dialysis centres,
generators, satellite phones, water purification systems, and
mobile bridges. The regions of Valparaiso, Metropolitana,
Libertador O´Higgins, Araucania, Biobío and Maule have
been declared catastrophe zones by the Government. 

For more information, please contact:

Viviana Mellado

IOM Santiago

E-mail: "mailto:vmellado@iom.int">vmellado@iom.int

or

Niurka Pineiro

IOM Washington

Tel: +1 202 862 18 26, ext 225

E-mail: "mailto:npineiro@iom.int">npineiro@iom.int