Ecuador (MNN) — With hundreds dead, thousands injured, and rescue efforts ongoing, agencies working in Ecuador are struggling to keep up with the need for medical treatment.
The response team from MAF Affiliate, Alas de Socorro del Ecuador (ADSE), load a Quest Kodiak at their base in Shell. The team spent Sunday evacuating a group of four children injured in Saturday’s earthquake along the Northwest coast of Ecuador. (Photo, caption courtesy MAF)
For the staff of Alas de Socorro del Ecuador (ADSE), a Mission Aviation Fellowship affiliate, Sunday was spent transporting four children from the earthquake zone, two with head injuries. Collections held by ADSE gathered sheets, blankets, non-perishable food, and bottled water.
“Currently, we’re helping to get some Samaritan’s Purse first-response teams into the area to assess bringing in a larger flight with a remote medical setup to help people with injuries from the earthquake,” shares MAF Disaster Response Manager, John Woodberry.
Estimates of the dead from the earthquake range from about 230 to 280, with the injured running in the thousands. Unfortunately, the numbers continue to climb.
MAF’s work involves more than medical transports. Because roads and bridges were destroyed by the earthquake, ADSE flights will bring doctors, relief workers, medicine, and other supplies, to remote areas.
“Some of the roads are very difficult due to earthquake damage and also just the speed when you have critical medical issues,” he said.
During the initial disaster response, efforts focus on getting medical attention to those who need it, and ensuring everyone has food, clean water, and shelter. “You transition to the development phase after that,” Woodberry said.
(Photo courtesy MAF)
MAF will be available at that time to help isolated areas.
“MAF is using some of its own resources to cover the disaster response flights we are doing,” he said. “But people can pray for MAF and the response in Ecuador. They can support the global ministry of MAF because, from those funds, we’re covering some of the costs of our flights.”
Learn more about MAF’s critical work here.
