WASHINGTON, April 23 — The World Bank said yesterday it would lend Ecuador US$150 million (RM582.8 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 7.8-magnitude quake that struck last Saturday, killing 587 people, has left some survivors clamouring for food, water and medicine. — Reuters