Please refer to the attached file.
Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Team is on the ground in the Valle del Cauca and Risaralda departments of Colombia, distributing hygiene supplies and rapidly assessing needs after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck 150 miles west of Bogotá causing widespread damage, landslides, and impacted critical infrastructure across a large geographic area.
Situational Context
The full scale of the impact continues to be assessed since a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near San Jose del Palmar, Colombia, on Monday August 10, continued to be assessed. Damage extends across a wide geographic area, including urban and rural areas across a range of socio-economic levels. More than 395 municipalities across western Colombia were affected and connectivity and access issues continue to limit a full assessment.
As of this morning, August 13, Colombia’s national disaster management agency (UNGRD) reports 273 dead, 3,824 injured, and 377 missing nationwide. Other sources state the number of missing at nearly 500. Approximately 75% of fatalities are concentrated in Quibdó, Pereira, and Valle del Cauca.
Over 12,500 homes have been destroyed and nearly 75,000 homes have been damaged, and 172 structures collapsed. Search and rescue operations, led by the National Risk and Disaster Management System, are transitioning from active rescue to recovery in the hardest hit areas. Chocó’s SAR phase was formally closed yesterday after a family of four was located alive. In Pereira and Cali, teams report shifting to recovery of bodies as the window for finding and rescuing survivors narrows, though efforts continue.
With 216 health centers sustaining damage, the need for hygiene, water, and medical support is significant. Access to more rural areas, especially Chocó, continues to be difficult. Chocó also sustained a 4.2 magnitude aftershock this morning, and officials stated the aftershock hindered utility restoration efforts.