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International (1997-2005)
Tzu Chi in the USA
1989 – 2014

n January 13, 2001, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the
Central American nation of El Salvador. It was followed by a
Osteady stream of both large and small aftershocks, culminating
in another quake of 6.8-magnitude precisely one month later. These two
major quakes were responsible for 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries. In
addition, 150,000 homes collapsed, 180,000 were damaged, and more
than 1.5 million individuals were affected. Property damage exceeded
$1.6 billion.

On January 15, just two days after the first major quake, Tzu Chi
volunteers from Southern California traveled to El Salvador to support
International Search and Rescue Operations Taiwan. At the same time,
Tzu Chi Religious Affairs Department Director Stephen Huang and
Deputy Director Zachary Tse led thirteen U.S. Tzu Chi volunteers into
the disaster area. Focusing on the area around Sacacoyo, they carried
out immediate disaster relief and provided free medical care for two
thousand people. From February 2 to 6, a total of 141 volunteers
from the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and
El Salvador provided medical care for 1,603 residents of three areas
around Sacacoyo. They also distributed goods, one-month supplies of
foodstuffs for seven thousand people.
After the second major quake struck on February 13, seventy-
eight volunteers from Taiwan and all across the Americas led a second

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