Reuters AlertNet Lite - EARTHQUAKE IN PERU: TSF keeps rescue teams online and reconnects more than 550 affected families

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EARTHQUAKE IN PERU: TSF keeps rescue teams online and reconnects more than 550 affected families

25 Aug 2007 12:45:00 GMT
Source: Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) - France
Oisin Walton

Website: Website: http://www.tsfi.org

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Pisco - Quake survivors calling to give news to their relatives
Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF)

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• Peru earthquake 2007

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Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) deployed two communication centres for rescue teams in Pisco and is running hummanitarian calling operations for survivors of the quake which hit Peru on Wednesday August 15th.

The relief team from TSF's Americas base, composed of 5 specialist in emergency communications transports satellite communication equipment (Inmarsat BGan terminals, RBGan, GAN M4 and Mini M) as well as computer equipment to provide internet connections, telephone lines and fax.

The communication centres deployed have been benefiting to at least 17 relief organizations such as the United Nations Disaster and Assessment Coordination teams (UNDAC), the World Food Program, the International Federation of the Red Cross, Oxfam or Medecins du Monde Spain.

During a humanitarian calling operation, Carmen Hernandez calls her son who lives in Spain and testifies on the violence of the quake:

"- Mom, where are you calling from? Your voice is trembling, are you sure everything is alright?

- Don't worry, please keep talking, it's so good to hear your voice. We're lacking everything here but we're alive. When you come back, you won't recognize Pisco. I'm calling from a satellite phone, a free called offered by an international NGO. Don't worry son, stay where you are."

Already more than 550 families have benefited from TSF's humanitarian calling operations. These operations will continue for several days in order to enable survivors to give news and call for help. TSF could also deploy more centres in the affected zones to facilitate coordination of rescue teams.

Wednesday, August 15th, Lima and the coastline of Peru were shaken by a massive quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. More than 500 people and thousands injured. Over 200 000 poeple are left homeless. More than one week after the earthquake rescue teams had lost any hope to find more quake survivors.

This mission is funded by the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO), the Vodafone Goup Foundation, the United Nations Foundation and Inmarsat, France Telecom, Eutelsat, Vizada, AT&T, Cable & Wireless.

For more information on this mission, please feel free to contact Oisin Walton at +33 559 844 360

On Thursday, TSF stood down after Hurricane Dean didn't provoke as serious damage to telecommunications in Central America as feered.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Last updated:Sat Aug 25 13:09:20 2007