A new National Disaster Preparedness Hub will provide temporary accommodation for some 500 people in the case of an emergency.

The hub, operated by the Red Cross, was inaugurated but Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela and Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne today.

Robert Brincaue from Red Cross Malta said the hub, a large tent backed by supplies, ambulances, boats and other equipment, had cost the voluntary organisation some €62,000.

Red Cross Malta provided medical assistance to some 1,600 people this year. An ambulance operated by the organisation in Paceville throughout the Christmas period had assisted some 140 people alone.

Mr Abela said the government gave the organisation around €14,000 every year, and was in the final stages of an agreement which would see its 150 volunteers work more closely with national entities.

On his part, Mr Fearne said it was no secret that the Red Cross had saved Maltese lives in the past, the most recent example of this was at the tragic high-speed crash at the Paqpaqli charity event.

This year is the Red Cross’s 25 year of operations in Malta.