“May the help of God and their brothers give them strength and support”: this has been said by Pope Francis after the violent earthquake that hit the northern coast of Ecuador, especially the provinces of Esmeraldas and Manabí. This has been mentioned by Caritas Italy, which pointed out that the number of victims, injured people and damage is not the final one yet. “Caritas Ecuador is already at work and, in coordination with mgr. Heras, president of the social pastoral service, is trying to monitor the situation and develop an immediate rescue plan”, states Caritas Italy in a note. “Because of the rain, many roads are impassable, and going to the areas hit by the earthquake is difficult”. Caritas Italy, “which for several years has been working with Caritas Ecuador by supporting their official initiatives and micro-development plans in all the dioceses of the country, immediately expressed solidarity and sympathy with the communities hit by the earthquake, through Caritas Ecuador”. Don Francesco Soddu, director of Caritas Italy, states: “As we are about to start, along with all diocesan Caritas agencies, our 38th national conference on mercy, we learn about this violent earthquake that hit Ecuador. Feeling fully part of the one human family, we give our support in prayer and, as an effective proof of this, we give Caritas Ecuador 100 thousand euros as a first fund for emergency aids”.
The Esmeraldas province and the Andin plateaus of the nearby Imbambura province are among the most seismic regions in Ecuador. To reduce the vulnerability of the population in the event of natural catastrophes, in the last few years Caritas had started projects for preparation to emergencies, prevention and evacuation plans that have also been shown in the schools. Over twenty per cent of the Ecuadorean population live below the poverty line, and eleven per cent is considered malnourished.