A DC-10 cargo plane landing in Chile bearing 60 tons of humanitarian aid cargo.

In June, Chile experienced its worst flooding in a century, which left hundreds of thousands homeless. Within 15 days of the disaster, 60 tons of humanitarian aid and 80 tons of food, valued at over $1 Million, was distributed to over a dozen of the hardest-hit communities of the country.

When the flooding began, FEDES was contacted by Chile's Ministry of Coordination and Planning, on behalf of the President's Office, requesting help with the emergency. FEDES then presented this need to Humanitarian Services, resulting in a DC-10 cargo plane landing in Chile bearing 60 tons of humanitarian aid, with strategic cargo like blankets, hygiene kits and warm clothing geared to helping relieve the suffering. Altogether, 12,000 blankets, 10,000 hygiene kits and 20 tons of warm clothing were immediately sorted and distributed to 6,000 families in over a dozen of the hardest-hit communities.

12,000 blankets, 10,000 hygiene kits and 20 tons of warm clothing being sorted and prepared for distribution to 6000 families in the neediest areas of the country.

A Vocational School facility (operated by FEDES), which acted as the base of operation, also had its carpentry workshop transformed into an emergency house-building operation, in another collaborative effort between FEDES, Humanitarian Services, Rotary and the Chilean government. Teams of local carpenters are now producing low-cost, pre-fab housing to meet the immediate needs of those who lost their homes to the flooding.

To obtain more complete information and further view this project’s work click here.