Mexico City, Sep 22 (EFE).- The president of Mexico on Friday announced various measures of support for the reconstruction of houses affected by the Sept. 7 earthquake in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, some of Mexico’s poorest regions.
Enrique Pena Nieto visited the town of Santiago Niltepec in Oaxaca to inspect the relief and rehabilitation work for the people affected by the 8.2 magnitude earthquake which killed 98 people – 78 in Oaxaca, 16 in Chiapas and 4 in Tabasco.
The president – who took a tour of the town and talked to the residents – said that in Santiago Niltepec and throughout the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, the census of earthquake-affected people was complete and reconstruction work will start from next week.
He said that each affected household will be given a card which they can use to buy construction material and pay for the labor used in the reconstruction.
Pena Nieto called on the women to make sure that the card was put to good use.
The cards will be distributed starting next week, by special squads which will go house to house delivering them.
“We want to ensure that these cards are received by the affected families and there are no middlemen, that we don’t hand them to any leader but directly to the families,” the president said.
He added that the affected population will have access to the Temporary Employment Program, giving them additional economic support along with the card.
Soft loans will be provided for bigger houses and businesses that require more resources.
Agencies involved in the rural housing construction will help senior citizens in rebuilding their houses if they opt for it, the president added.
He expressed hope that within three to four months, all the houses could be rebuilt and said that the aim was to make sure that the affected people could celebrate the New Year in a new house.
Mexico was hit by another earthquake on Sept. 19, which has killed at least 292 people, affecting Mexico City and the states of Morelos, Puebla, Mexico, Guerrero and Oaxaca.