Colombia earthquake response scales up as death toll reaches 241
Aid agencies and Colombian authorities are scaling up relief after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed 241 people, injured 3,771, and affected more than 49,000 people across 13 departments.
Aid agencies work to reach isolated communities after 7.4-magnitude quake affected 13 departments, with shelter, health and water needs mounting
Aid agencies and Colombian authorities are scaling up emergency relief after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed 241 people, injured 3,771 and affected at least 49,214 people across 13 departments, according to the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA.
The quake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, with the epicentre reported near San José del Palmar in Chocó, triggering a government-led response backed by U.N. agencies, the Red Cross movement, the European Union and the United States.
Emergency needs are centered on shelter, health care, water and sanitation, food assistance, protection and psychosocial support, according to OCHA, the International Organization for Migration and other responders. Roads and other infrastructure were damaged in some of the hardest-hit areas, slowing access to isolated communities and complicating assessments.
OCHA said in a flash update issued on Aug. 12 that 30,324 families had been impacted and that the most affected departments included Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó and Caldas. The agency said figures remained preliminary as assessments continued.
Humanitarian agencies said the disaster affected areas already facing poverty, conflict and access constraints, which could complicate recovery in some communities.
The Norwegian Refugee Council said the earthquake struck communities already facing conflict and access challenges, warning that remote and conflict-affected areas could be harder to serve.
The U.N. Development Coordination Office said the U.N. system was supporting the government response through temporary shelter, health care, food security, protection, logistics and emergency supplies. IOM said it was prepared to deploy teams to support emergency shelter, relief items, water and sanitation services and psychosocial care.
The early funding response has included a $5 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund and 2.1 million euros in emergency assistance from the European Commission. The U.S. State Department also announced additional support, though public reporting reviewed for this article did not provide a consolidated estimate of total response requirements.
UN News reported that emergency teams were continuing to scale up assistance while responders worked around damaged infrastructure and difficult access conditions. ReliefWeb-listed updates through Aug. 14 indicated that assessments and coordination were still evolving.
Key takeaways
- A 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10 has killed 241 people and injured 3,771, according to OCHA.
- At least 49,214 people and 30,324 families were affected across 13 departments.
- Priority needs include shelter, health care, water and sanitation, food assistance, protection and psychosocial support.
- Aid access remains difficult in some isolated and conflict-affected areas because of infrastructure damage and pre-existing fragility.
- Early funding includes $5 million from CERF and 2.1 million euros from the European Commission, with additional U.S. support announced.