BRASILIA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Brazilian government said that it would send a multidisciplinary humanitarian mission to Haiti in an emergency response to the tragedy caused by an earthquake on Saturday, which has killed more than 2,200 people.
The mission “will feature the participation of a KC-390 Millennium transport aircraft, from the Brazilian Air Force, scheduled to depart for Port-au-Prince next weekend, with the purpose of carrying personnel and material to support the humanitarian emergency,” explained the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, in a statement.
Also, according to the executive, the mission should have teams of specialists and experts in search and rescue in collapsed urban structures, in addition to ”kits” of drugs and strategic consumables for emergency pharmaceutical assistance, donated by the Ministry of Health.
At issue is an interministerial action involving the Ministries of Justice and Public Security, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Health, and Regional Development, defined within the scope of the Interministerial Working Group on International Humanitarian Cooperation.
The Brazilian government also stressed that the configuration of the mission could be adjusted according to the needs and understandings that are being maintained with the Haitian government.
“On the occasion of the International Humanitarian Day, celebrated on 19/08, the Government of Brazil reiterates its expression of solidarity with the Haitian people and reaffirms its commitment to the well-being and stability of Haiti,” concludes the statement.
The earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that shook Haiti on Saturday left at least 2,189 dead and 12,268 injured, according to a new Haitian civil protection assessment, which also points out that there are at least 332 people missing.
The region most affected by the earthquake is the southern department, which registered 1,832 deaths, according to the latest Civil Protection bulletin.
About 53,000 homes are said to have been destroyed, with more than 77,000 having suffered extensive damage.
The most affected locality is Marigot, where 500 of the 615 houses were destroyed.
The authorities estimate that 650,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, which corresponds to around 40% of the population of the three most affected regions located in the southwestern peninsula of the country.
Saturday’s earthquake is already the second deadliest in 25 years in Latin America, after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. — NNN-AGENCIES
