© Valentina Escobar Salazar Rescue work in the south of Cali, Colombia. Colombia: UN mobilizes resources to support country’s authorities after massive earthquake Climate and Environment
The UN Secretary-General is saddened by reports that the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia yesterday killed more than 160 people and injured many more. This is stated in a statement released on Tuesday by the UN press service.
António Guterres expressed solidarity with the people and authorities of Colombia, offered condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured.
The United Nations is in close contact with the Colombian authorities and supports the efforts undertaken by the government, the statement said.
According to officials According to data, at least 1,495 people were injured as a result of the earthquake.
“Almost 5,000 houses were damaged, 387 were destroyed; 61 buildings collapsed. More than 550 educational institutions, 24 medical facilities and more than 350 community centers were affected,” said UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesman Jens Laerke. mobilizes resources to assist affected areas
The UN is redistributing resources and sending additional personnel to affected areas, UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia Maria José Torres Macho said on Tuesday.
The government has asked the UN to support national measures; Among the priorities are providing temporary housing, medical and food assistance to the victims.
According to her, the UN is acting quickly and, in particular, is providing emergency aid kits. The possible use of mobile teams in remote areas is being considered, including to provide medical services to pregnant women.
Losses in the healthcare sector
The Colombian department of Valle del Cauca suffered the most serious consequences in terms of damage to medical infrastructure. This was announced on Tuesday by the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tarik Jasarevic. emergency response mode, and field teams have been sent to the affected areas to assess the state of the health sector and coordinate actions,” Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva.
The strongest earthquake of this century
The earthquake occurred on Monday around 7:34 a.m. local time. Its epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, next to Valle del Cauca. The tremors were felt across large parts of Colombia and neighboring countries including Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela. According to the Colombian Geological Survey, it was the largest seismic event recorded in the country this century.
Damage also affected transport infrastructure, including six airports. The government has activated emergency coordination centers in four cities. Evacuation orders were even issued in the capital, Bogota, located 250 miles east of San Jose del Palmar.