This mission report describes the findings of a team deployed by the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit (JEU) and the Government of Belgium through the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) following the eruption of a volcano in Chile.

Following the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex in Chile, there were deposits of volcanic materials that spread in Argentina and Patagonia in an area of up to 74,000 km². The Ministry of the Interior of the Argentine Republic requested technical cooperation for the assessment of risks and hazards to the population and the environment. Subsequently, in July 2011, a joint technical cooperation mission with Belgium under the leadership of the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit was deployed to work with the Argentinian authorities. Four experts from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France were deployed through the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM). The mission concluded that the volcanic material deposited posed a serious burden on lives and livelihoods. The team recommended a full toxicological risk assessment of volcanic material and to establish a comprehensive monitoring system of air, water and soil.

Consult the mission report here.