World Bank to lend Ecuador $150 million to speed aid to quake victims

Washington: The World Bank said on Friday it would lend Ecuador $150 million to speed up assistance to victims of last week`s major earthquake that devastated large areas of the country`s northern coast.

"Through this project, we will support the purchase and distribution of non-food items such as surgical equipment, medical instruments and mobile hospitals, and other supplies to cope with this emergency," World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Jorge Familiar said in a statement.

The Washington-based bank said it had also offered Ecuador the possibility of restructuring other loans to increase the amount of resources available to deal with this emergency.The massive 7.8-magnitude quake that struck on Saturday, killing 587 people, has left some survivors clamouring for food, water and medicine.