Disaster response efforts in Colombia have entered a new phase more than a week after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country on Aug. 10. As hope fades for finding more survivors from the earthquake, which is confirmed to have killed more than 300 people and left thousands of people injured, organizations have turned their attention to basic needs and aiding people who have been left homeless. What are the most urgent needs and pressing challenges in the aftermath of this disaster? How well is the new government of President Abelardo de la Espriella responding and coordinating aid? What dangers exist from damaged infrastructure and buildings, and how should they be addressed?
Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli, director for the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America: “The devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck just days after Abelardo de la Espriella’s government took office. To its credit, the government responded quickly, and senior officials traveled to hard-hit areas. However, the lack of a normal transition left key institutions such as the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) unprepared, contributing to coordination problems, while the highly centralized and personalized management of information has sidelined regional and technical expertise. There is criticism that at the beginning, aid was politicized, causing an unnecessary distraction from saving lives. The shortcomings are particularly concerning in Chocó and Buenaventura, where the response has not adequately addressed the specific needs of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities or meaningfully incorporated ethnic authorities. Given the Pacific region’s limited health infrastructure, lack of basic services and severe access challenges, images of De la Espriella distributing soccer balls bearing his party’s name were poorly received by some Afro-Colombians. The government should instead prioritize access, essential services, health capacity and direct coordination with ethnic and community authorities. The De la Espriella government will need to address how it plans to carry out mass reconstruction and ensure assistance for affected populations, even though its campaign promise was to cut institutional and government spending.”
Katherine E. Bliss, senior fellow and director for immunizations and health systems resilience at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center: “The recent earthquake centered in Chocó complicates an ongoing humanitarian emergency associated with conflict, natural disasters and fragmented social services in Colombia. Prior to Aug. 10, an estimated 6.9 million people nationwide required humanitarian assistance, with a significant need for health services. The damage associated with the 7.4-magnitude earthquake has compounded this situation by destroying hospitals and health centers in the affected regions, limiting communications, and restricting access to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as power. With thousands seeking care for tremor-associated injuries, many of the remaining clinical sites have been overwhelmed and are struggling to maintain a full suite of routine services while addressing quake-induced trauma. The health ministry has activated the use of telemedicine and mobile clinics to reach more people in need, but road closures are making it challenging for search-and-rescue teams to access remote population centers. The crisis has posed an early test for the administration of President De la Espriella, who took office just days before the earthquake struck. Disaster preparedness has been a priority of recent administrations, with longstanding emphasis on raising population awareness, building technical expertise and strengthening emergency management skills at the local and departmental levels; the new administration can build on this legacy. The response will also benefit from offers of funding and technical support from several countries in the region, as well as Europe and Asia, while the World Bank and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean have committed resources to the recovery efforts.”
Jennifer Trivedi, associate professor in the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware: “In the aftermath of the earthquake in Colombia, many people face critical basic needs such as medical care, sanitation, and water and food. Some of these needs are particularly complicated by earthquake damage to buildings like hospitals. Widespread damage beyond buildings to various forms of infrastructure poses complications for transporting people and resources, communication and power as they are restored. All of these questions are layered onto pre-existing problems people may have faced outside of the disaster, including access to care and resources in different areas, which reinforces the need to listen to local people on the ground and work with trusted local organizations already on the ground in the area and working with people and communities, even prior to the earthquake. Throughout all of this, there is also the need for space for mourning, and mental and emotional support, now and moving forward into recovery processes. Recovery and rebuilding processes that prioritize local perspectives, culture and needs are essential, both in the short- and long-term.”
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