As rescue efforts continued on Tuesday in the wake of the earthquake that struck western Colombia, United Nations agencies said that they were ready to help “with everything we've got” if and when the authorities requested it. Official data indicates that more than 2,500 people have been injured, and over 250 people have died in Monday’s 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which has left homes and buildings in ruins.
“Nearly 5,000 homes have been damaged and 387 have been destroyed; 61 buildings have collapsed and more than 550 educational institutions, 24 health facilities and more than 350 community centers have [been] affected,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told journalists in Geneva.
“Those are official government figures, we know they are being updated as more information comes in,” he added.
Nearly 100 aftershocks had been recorded since the initial earthquake struck at 07:34 local time., further complicating rescue and relief operations. The epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, close to the Valle del Cauca region.
Initial reports indicate that at least 12 departments have been affected by the earthquake. The country has declared a state of national disaster.
The tremor was felt across large parts of Colombia and neighboring countries, including Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.
According to the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres Macho, the UN system already has teams assessing the situation in the affected areas. Together with the government, they are preparing an initial emergency response meeting to determine needs and what assistance can be mobilized.
“There has not been any official request for international assistance,” noted Laerke. “Should that happen, the entire UN system and, of course, humanitarians in particular stand ready to support with everything we've got," he added.
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) cited official Colombian data from late Monday indicating that 24 health facilities across six departments have reported damage.
The department of Valle del Cauca experienced the “most significant health infrastructure impacts” and particularly the city of Cali, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic. Key facilities affected include Hospital Universitario del Valle, where part of a tower housing cardiology and pediatric services collapsed, and Clinica Nuestra, which was fully evacuated.
“Our office in the country in Colombia activated its emergency response and its field teams and teams have been deployed to affected areas, including Cali and Chocó, to support health sector assessment and coordination,” Jasarevic said in Geneva.
According to the Colombian Geological Service, the quake’s epicenter was about 103 kilometers (64 miles) deep, marking the largest seismic event recorded in the country this century.
Pereira, one of the worst-affected cities with about 500,000 people, suffered extensive damage, with rescue teams continuing to search collapsed buildings for survivors. Authorities also reported casualties and structural damage in Cali, the country's third-largest city, where landslides and collapsed structures have hampered rescue efforts.
Transport infrastructure has also been damaged, and several airports in western Colombia have suspended operations while facilities are inspected.
Evacuation orders have been issued as far away as Bogotá, the capital, which lies about 400 miles east of San José del Palmar.
On Tuesday, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke with Colombia’s Foreign Minister, Omar Bula Escobar, about providing practical support in response to the devastating earthquake. They also held talks with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in Colombia, led by UN Resident Coordinator Torres Macho.
The Colombian government is leading and coordinating the emergency response. Shelter, food, safe drinking water, and healthcare are among the most urgent needs.
Torres Macho said that, once needs are identified, the UN system could provide support, particularly regarding food security, health, water, sanitation, and protection for children and families in vulnerable situations.
The presence of UN agencies in several affected departments would allow existing programs, supplies, and logistical capacity to be redirected toward the new emergency. Macho highlighted the logistical capacity of the World Food Programme near the affected areas in particular.
Meanwhile, the Colombian Red Cross has activated its National Crisis Room, and search and rescue teams from Antioquia, Quindío, and Caldas are responding. Thirty search-and-rescue responders from Antioquia have been deployed to Chocó, one of the areas most affected by the earthquake. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing as authorities and Red Cross teams work to determine the scale of the disaster.
On Tuesday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) noted that casualty and damage figures remain preliminary and are changing rapidly as assessments continue and access to affected areas improves. Access remains challenging, particularly in Chocó. Airport closures and road disruptions are also affecting logistics planning and access in several areas.
The IFRC has activated its readiness plan for large-scale emergencies and is assessing how best to support the Colombian Red Cross.
Also on Tuesday, Colombia requested assistance via the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), shelter, and medical supplies.
The earthquake has struck as Colombia continues to face a severe and protracted humanitarian crisis. The situation is compounded by internal armed conflict, recurrent climate-related disasters, and the growing humanitarian needs of large refugee and migrant populations. Within this already fragile context, rural, ethnic, refugee and migrant communities remain disproportionately vulnerable.