Around 1.2 million people need humanitarian assistance following the earthquake that struck western Colombia, according to a review published on Thursday of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan for the country. The UN and its partners estimate they require $148.1 million to respond to the emergency.
Ten days after the earthquake, some communities have still not received assistance and others have only been reached once. Humanitarian teams are deployed across various areas, but access remains unequal. More than 400 roads were damaged by the earthquake and in rural and remote areas these damages compound logistical difficulties that existed before the earthquake.
Around 671,000 people in the worst-affected areas are to be assisted, mainly in Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó and Caldas, with food, shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation, education, cash assistance and protection services. More than 300 people have died, 426 remain missing and over 4,500 have been injured across 472 municipalities in 15 departments. Additionally, more than 134,000 homes are damaged and nearly 30,000 were destroyed.
Thousands of families still do not know whether they can return to their homes. For many, even homes that are still standing cannot yet be considered safe. Structural assessments continue as thousands of people search for somewhere to stay. The IOM has identified at least 71 temporary collective shelters, where around 4,700 people—equivalent to nearly 1,400 households—are living in Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Chocó and Caldas.
Heavy rains are worsening conditions for those remaining in temporary shelters. The healthcare system also suffered severe damage, with at least 50 hospitals affected, compromising their operations. Some facilities face interruptions in water, electricity, oxygen and medical supplies, while road and communication damage hinders the transfer of patients, personnel and medicines.
Around 450,000 students have been affected by damage to educational facilities and more than 75,000 have no guarantee of a safe school space. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned of a "critical information gap" on losses in crops, livestock, artisanal fishing, irrigation systems and harvests, with particular concern for rural, riverine and coastal communities dependent on family farming and fishing.
