Multilateral Banks to Provide $750,000 to Chile for Emergency Response to Forest Fires in Biobío

Original article: Banca multilateral aportará 750 mil dólares a Chile para enfrentar emergencias forestales en el Biobío

On Thursday, January 22, President Gabriel Boric announced that the multilateral banking institutions, of which Chile is a member, have committed funds to assist the Chilean government in responding to the emergency caused by the wildfires affecting the Ñuble and Biobío regions.

According to information from the Ministry of Finance, this support comes from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), both of which have made resources available to aid in initial response actions and to assess damages and losses resulting from this disaster.
 
The contribution from CAF includes a grant of $250,000 that will be allocated to immediate emergency efforts, which will be managed by the Ministry of Interior.

In a letter signed by CAF’s Executive President, Sergio Granados, the organization expressed «its deepest solidarity with the devastating effects of the raging fire impacting the Ñuble and Biobío regions, which has resulted in significant loss of life and considerable material damage.»

«Undoubtedly, the harsh reality of climate change is evident in the regions. The drastic rise in temperatures and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events necessitate decisive action to mitigate these phenomena, as well as better preparing communities to confront them,» added the letter from Sergio Granados.

Meanwhile, the IDB’s contribution amounts to $500,000 and is structured into two components to support both immediate response actions and subsequent technical evaluation efforts.

Thus, the resources provided by the IDB will be broken down into $350,000 allocated for initial response actions, such as supplying necessary goods, services, and support for both the affected population and firefighting operations; and $150,000 designated for hiring expert advisors and specialized operational personnel to assess emergency needs and damages resulting from the disaster.

Through its representative in Chile, Katharina Falkner-Olmedo, the IDB stated that they have seen «with great sorrow the events affecting the Biobío and Ñuble regions since January 14, 2026, due to wildfires that have cost lives and caused great economic losses for the population.»

«Along with expressing our recognition for the coordinated actions taken by the Chilean government to alert the at-risk population, assist displaced individuals, and combat the wildfires, as well as for the resilience of the population in the face of this tragedy, we wish to convey our commitment to continue supporting the Government of Chile in this matter,» stated Katharina Falkner-Olmedo.

We will continue to provide updates.