The UN requests 148 million dollars to assist those affected by the earthquake in Colombia
The United Nations (UN) has made an urgent appeal to the international community with the goal of raising an additional 148 million dollars to address the emergency in Colombia, following the devastating earthquake that occurred eleven days ago. The natural phenomenon has left a significant impact on the nation, affecting approximately 280,000 citizens and causing the destruction of more than 31,000 homes, in addition to severe damage to basic service infrastructure.
According to the most recent report from Colombian authorities, the human toll is regrettable: 319 people have lost their lives, more than 4,500 have been injured, and search efforts continue to locate 260 people who remain missing.
Humanitarian aid priorities
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, highlighted from Geneva that there is a segment of the population that requires immediate attention. Within the requested amount, critical needs have been defined that seek to assist the most vulnerable sectors.
There is a subset of extreme priority needs that require $82 million to support 127,000 highly vulnerable people.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The priority areas of intervention established by the international organization include:
- Immediate health and medical care.
- Food and nutrition supply.
- Provision of temporary shelters.
- Access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
- Emergency education and protection programs.
The spokesperson emphasized that the earthquake has deepened a pre-existing humanitarian crisis. Many families were already in precarious conditions due to armed conflicts and difficulties in accessing essential services, a reality that is particularly acute in rural areas and in the Pacific coast region, where the epicenter of the seismic movement was located.
Financial response to the crisis
This new financial requirement functions as a complement to the annual humanitarian plan that the UN was already executing in Colombia, which included an initial request of 472 million dollars for the year 2026, of which 62% has been successfully funded.
Regarding the specific response to the earthquake, the international community has already channeled 35 million dollars, to which an additional 5 million dollars contributed directly by the UN emergency fund for high-priority interventions are added.
