(5 March 2010) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Santiago, Chile this afternoon to express the solidarity of the organization with the Chilean people after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country February 27 and personally see the damages in two of the most devastated cities in the south.
S.G. Ban Ki-moon was greeted at the airport by Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariano Fernández, and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena.
"I am very moved to see such strong courage and resilience of the Chilean people," said the Secretary-General upon his arrival.
With this trip, Ban Ki-moon hopes to gain a fuller picture of the scale of the destruction so that the United Nations can best assist the Chilean government and coordinate future aid.
"Chile has been extraordinarily generous in assisting Haiti in its time of need. Now is the moment for the United Nations and the international community to stand with Chile and its people. We are ready to help provide any assistance that the Chilean government requests, immediate and long-term," he asserted.
The Secretary-General also expressed his deepest sympathy with the people of Chile, and commended President Michelle Bachelet and her government for its leadership in responding to the disaster as well as its close coordination with President-elect Sebastián Piñera.
At 3 p.m. this afternoon, he will meet with President Bachelet and senior government officials in charge of national disaster and emergency humanitarian assistance. This will be followed by a press conference at the presidential palace at 4.30 p.m.
At 6 p.m., Ban Ki-moon will visit "A Roof for Chile" Foundation for a ceremony with hundreds of young volunteers who will go to the damaged areas. "A Roof for Chile" is a volunteer Catholic Church-based NGO that builds temporary housing for slum-dwellers and seeks to bring them education, social services and microcredit as well as guide them in acquiring permanent housing.
President-elect Piñera will also participate in this ceremony. Afterwards, the Secretary-General will hold a bilateral meeting with the President-elect.
Early tomorrow, Ban Ki-moon will travel to Concepción, the second largest city in Chile over 300 miles south of Santiago, and the adjacent port of Talcahuano, two of the most devastated areas close to the epicenter, to see the extent of the damages there and meet with rescue workers and communities affected by the earthquake.
Before leaving Chile on Saturday evening, Ban Ki-moon will meet with the heads of the 15 United Nations agencies operating in Chile.
For more information, contact ECLAC's Information Services. Email: dpisantiago@cepal.org; telephones: (56-2) 210-2149/2040; (56-9) 88390576.
