Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
ANS
Esmeraldas (Agenzia Fides) – On March 13, 2025, a pipeline rupture in the province of Esmeraldas, northwest Ecuador, caused a huge amount of oil to spill into the river of the same name, which gives the region its name. It reached the Pacific Ocean and altered the biodiversity of unique river and marine ecosystems for kilometers.
Most of the region's population makes a living from fishing. An activity that, several months later, is struggling to restart. According to authorities, more than half a million people are still affected by the environmental disaster: while in March, the oil-related water crisis required rationing and the use of water reserves, in recent weeks, fishermen have struggled to resume their fishing activities as the "oil spill" damaged their equipment. Just over a month later, the same region was hit by an earthquake that caused even more damage.
Salesian missionaries, through the Salesian Foundation North Coast and the Salesian Inspectorate Campaign of Ecuador "Together for Emeraldas", delivered artisanal fishing kits and construction materials last week to areas affected by the oil spill and the recent earthquake, according to the Salesian news agency ANS.
Thanks to the support of the Salesian Procurator of Ireland and the active collaboration of the Salesian Works of Ecuador, the kits were distributed to various groups of fishermen on the banks of Santa Cruz and in the Santa Martha II neighborhood. The kits include basic tools for artisanal fishing, such as nets, hooks, ropes, safety devices, and other supplies.
At the same time, families affected by the violent earthquake of April 25 received building materials to rebuild their homes. The beneficiary families come from the Santa Martha and 5 de Junio neighborhoods, where the earthquake caused serious structural damage to several homes. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/6/2025)
