Canada pledges to send more aid to Ecuador, but DART won’t be going

OTTAWA – Canada is contributing another $900,000 to earthquake-stricken Ecuador, but has decided against sending the military’s Disaster Assistance Response Team.

The latest donation brings Canadian assistance to Ecuador to $2 million.

The government has also contributed to sending a Canadian Red Cross field hospital to help.

Global Affairs says the DART evaluated the situation and decided it was not needed.

The disaster response unit is mainly set up to provide short-term help including primary medical care, water purification and engineering assistance.

It has worked in a number of countries in the last decade, including Nepal, the Philippines, Haiti and Pakistan.

The government says help is getting to those who need it in Ecuador.

“Through Canada’s support to experienced humanitarian partners, life-saving assistance is being provided to the most vulnerable people,” International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a statement.

Ecuador was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 16, leaving millions of people affected.

The Canadian Red Cross field hospital deployed to Ecuador last Sunday.