On 13 May Minister-president Bourgeois decided to free up 100,000 euro in emergency aid for the people in Ecuador after the earthquake of April 16th. The money will be used through Plan Belgium to contribute to the food supply in the hard-hit coastal province of Manabí. The Flemish support will help about 250 families.
Plan Belgium has been working in Ecuador since 1963. The organization can therefore rely on a strong local network in that country. In a first phase, Plan Belgium will distribute food parcels, but as the regular supply recovers, the money will also be used for cash transfers in the form of vouchers and debit cards. The affected population can use these to buy food in local supermarkets.
Minister-president Bourgeois: "As a solidary region, Flanders wants to play a leading role in supporting creative emergency response mechanisms. As with the recent emergency assistance to refugee camps in Kurdistan we have chosen to give the people of Ecuador a portion of the aid through cash transfers. This allows families to set their own priorities in terms of food supply, and in turn, this way, they retain their dignity and also helps the local economy recover."
