International Red Cross requests 30 million dollars after earthquake in Colombia
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) formalized an emergency appeal this Wednesday with the goal of raising 25 million Swiss francs, equivalent to approximately 30 million dollars. These resources are intended to strengthen the assistance efforts that the Colombian Red Cross is carrying out in the areas affected by the strong earthquake recorded last Monday in the west of the country.
The aid plan’s main goal is to strengthen response capabilities on the ground, providing direct support to nearly 24,000 people over a 24-month period. This initiative seeks to ensure sustained assistance for those affected during this critical recovery phase.
Immediate actions and priorities
Following the impact of the earthquake, the IFRC immediately activated an initial allocation of one million Swiss francs, approximately 1.2 million dollars, from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund. This capital has funded the initial interventions of the relief teams.
We are reaching a very critical moment in the operation. The Colombian Red Cross teams have been working tirelessly. The IFRC network will continue to support the Colombian Red Cross to scale up its response through this emergency appeal mechanism over the coming days and weeks.
Loyce Pace, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas
Areas most affected
The humanitarian strategy will focus, in a first stage, on the departments that have reported the greatest needs following the natural disaster. The priorities for assistance include:
- Chocó
- Risaralda
- Caldas
- Valle del Cauca
The organization reaffirmed its commitment to maintain its presence in vulnerable areas to mitigate the impact of the earthquake and to collaborate closely with local authorities in the coming weeks.
