Colombia's Deadliest Earthquake in Decades Leaves a Long Road to Recovery

On August 10th a 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Chocó Department in western Colombia. This earthquake struck a poor rural area approximately 150 miles west of Bogotá. The impact from this quake was felt in numerous major cities throughout Colombia and as far away as Panama, Ecuador and Peru. It was the largest earthquake to strike Colombia in a decade.

Damage was widespread, even though the epicenter was located far from the major cities. The mayor of Cali reported that more than thirty buildings collapsed during the first few hours, including two wings of a hospital. In Pereira, a seven-story building at Plaza Bolívar collapsed along with part of the airport. Other cities that sustained significant structural damage included Quibdó, Manizales, Armenia and Buenaventura. Roads, tunnels and bridges were closed due to landslides caused by the shaking, blocking access to some areas and hindering the ability of doctors to reach patients requiring care. Throughout much of the region power, telephone service and internet service ceased. Flights into and out of at least six cities were suspended by the aviation authority.

Rescue workers reported an increasing number of deaths as they gained access to additional locations. There were 111 reported fatalities on the first afternoon, 132 the next morning and 164 by the third day. By the end of August, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management confirmed at least 331 fatalities, more than 4,600 injuries and about 240 individuals unaccounted for. More than 300 health centers were damaged when they were most needed. Thousands of homes, schools and business establishments were either severely damaged or rendered uninhabitable. President Abelardo De La Espriella declared a national disaster and ordered troops to assist in providing disaster relief.

The majority of the initial days involved search and rescue. Emergency personnel searched through debris in Cali and Pereira using the method of raising their fists to signal quiet to enable listening for possible survivors buried beneath the debris. Within days, Mexico sent the Topos de Tlatelolco, a volunteer rescue unit experienced with collapsed buildings in urban environments, to assist in the rescue effort in Cali. Colombian military personnel assisted in clearing roadways and establishing temporary hospitals where local emergency services had failed. In the following weeks, dozens of aftershocks made progress slow and prevented residents from entering buildings that remained standing but had not been inspected.

Aid arrived from other countries almost immediately. The World Bank provided $200 million for emergency relief and reconstruction. The Vatican donated at least €100,000 via the Colombian Bishops Conference. Americares (which has been working in Colombia for three decades) had an assessment team in Cali by the next morning to assess health needs and distribute hygiene kits. Direct Relief began transporting medical supplies within hours. Not all foreign offers of assistance went smoothly: China's Ambassador to Colombia stated publicly that his country was experiencing difficulties coordinating its assistance with Colombian officials. However, generally speaking, assistance came quickly, and the government's choice to make public information regarding casualties and damage enabled relief organizations to target their resources toward the areas that required them.

In addition to receiving international assistance, Colombians organized themselves independently. Three days prior to its scheduled conclusion in Medellín, the Vuelta a Colombia (the nation's premier bicycle racing event) was halted and the lead rider, Diego Camargo, was declared the winner. Festivals planned in several cities were canceled and funds previously allocated for these events were redirected to support the disaster relief and recovery efforts. A benefit concert held in Medellín on August 15 brought together more than twenty-five musicians. Shakira personally visited affected communities and pledged her foundation's commitment to rebuilding schools in those areas. These independent actions demonstrate that a country does not have to wait for directions from others when responding to disasters.

Recovering from the long-term effects of this disaster will be significantly more difficult than responding to it. Before this disaster occurred, Chocó (where the earthquake originated) was Colombia's poorest department, with inadequate infrastructure and minimal governmental presence. Reconstructing roads, bridges and healthcare facilities in a mountainous, rain-soaked environment prone to landslides will take years. Engineers in the larger cities now must inspect tens of thousands of buildings to identify which ones can be restored and which must be demolished, leaving families uncertain as to where they will reside while awaiting resolution to their housing situation. Schools that collapsed or were condemned require replacement if students are going to be able to resume regular schooling. Hospitals that lost operating wings will continue to provide medical care at a diminished level for the foreseeable future.

Another critical issue is what will happen to the nearly 4,600 people who were injured and the many more who lost homes or livelihoods as a result of this disaster. Families displaced by this disaster are currently residing in shelters, with relatives, or in damaged residences because they have nowhere else to go. Small businesses that were destroyed may never again become operational. The financial costs associated with this disaster have yet to be determined; however, they will disproportionately affect the communities that have always struggled the most.

Colombia has experience with earthquakes dating back to the Armenia earthquake in 1999, which resulted in over one thousand fatalities and led to new building regulations being enacted. Some of the structures that survived this recent quake did so as a direct result of those regulations. Most of the structures that collapsed were old, constructed informally or never subject to inspection. Whether the lessons of 1999 are applied more fully this time remains to be seen, and it will determine how well Colombia recovers from this crisis.

Gustavo Gimenez (Year 13)