USINT Joins Diplomatic Missions in Fundraiser for Haiti, Chile
The US Interests Section recently joined 11 other diplomatic missions in Havana in hosting an international food fair and auction to raise funds for disaster relief efforts in Haiti and Chile. Both Haiti and Chile suffered from devastating earthquakes in the past six months. Guests at the fundraising event sampled typical foods from the different countries represented, including chili from the United States, paella from Spain, pasta from Italy, turnovers from Venezuela, and other tempting fare. Paintings, sculptures and airline tickets to Europe were some of the prizes offered in the raffle and silent auction. The event raised over US$6200.
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. An estimated three million people were affected by the earthquake, which destroyed nearly 300,000 buildings and killed nearly a quarter of a million people. Six months after the quake, over 1.5 million people remain homeless and are residing in tented camps.
On 27 February, 2010, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile. It was strongly felt in six regions of the country, and tremors were felt in Argentina and Peru. The earthquake affected an estimated two million persons, and destroyed over 500,000 buildings. This was the strongest earthquake to hit Chile since the Valdivia quake in 1960 and the strongest worldwide since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.