According to official data, the earthquake of April 16th left 73.000 displaced people, obliging them to live in organized shelters and camps, or in spontaneous settlements or hosted by other families. About 30.000 persons are now kept in reception centres, where the protection and assistance strategies must be adequately taken care of and must be strengthened to minimize the risk of violence and reduce the growing anxiety among the displaced.
The victims of the 7,8° Richter seism were 658, the wounded 27.000 and at present 350.000 persons are in need of help. The quake destroyed 7.000 buildings, and 2.740 more have been damaged, among which 281 schools. For this reason 120.000 children and adolescents cannot go to school.
In a letter addressed to the Salesian Family, Fr. Pessinatti highlighted the importance of doing tangible gestures of solidarity to help the brethren in Ecuador: “Our Salesian Family in Ecuador directly serves over 7.000 homeless people. In this moment, I ask all communities to mobilize for a strong campaign in support of these people. Students, families, teachers, educators, parishioners, SYM, past pupils, ADMA, Salesian Cooperators … We are so many! Let us express our tangible solidarity, as Salesian Family!”
Salesians in Ecuador are helping in the reconstruction of the country and of quake-stricken areas; besides, they must completely reconstruct the “Colegio San José”, a Salesian school that provides education to over 1.700 students of low-income families, and that has been demolished because it was heavily struck by the seism.
