European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, said she is likely to travel to Chile after her visit to the devastated island of Haiti, Bulgarian media reported on March 2 2010.

From one island hit by an apocalyptic earthquake, Georgieva is set to visit another site of widespread destruction where the 8.8 magnitude tremor has left more than 700 dead, thousands homeless and mounting fear that the death toll is likely to rise.

Georgieva, currently in Haiti, said that she was "impressed by the optimism of the local people". Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, was levelled to a large extent by the January 12 quake, but Georgieva said that "a lot has been achieved towards its restoration", Bulgarian national radio (BNR) was quoted as saying.

According to Dnevnik daily, the commissioner will ask all European Union member states to "fulfill their obligations faster and supply the construction material and supplies to Haiti".

But the international focus on Haiti's reconstruction has been offset by the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile early on February 27, resulting in 700 deaths, toppling more than half a million buildings and triggering tsunami waves around the Pacific "rim of fire".

Regarding Haiti, Georgieva said that the international community had reacted quickly to the crisis. "The Union has mobilised medical and humanitarian units as well as resources from 25 member states," Georgieva said.

"We all witnessed a determined and focused initial reaction but now we also have to ensure that the reconstruction process on the island is carried out," she added.

Georgieva and the European Union, however, will now have to concentrate on events in Chile as well. Initially, the Chilean government had said that international assistance was not required, although television reports on the BBC World Service and CNN later revealed that the government will need assistance after all and that it might have "made a mistake in its initial assessment" of the disaster.

"I have been following the news of the large earthquake off Chile overnight. I want to first offer my condolences to the families of those who have been affected by this natural disaster," Georgieva was quoted as saying.

"I have immediately activated the Crisis Room at the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), which is working with the European Union's delegation in Santiago. I have mobilised ECHO humanitarian experts to undertake urgent needs assessments if required."

"ECHO (the EC's humanitarian aid department) has a regional office in Managua as well as offices in Bogota and Quito. The Monitoring and Information Centre is further assessing the situation and the Commission stands ready to provide immediate assistance and co-ordinate European efforts should that be required," Georgieva said.