Full story
Colombia quake aid request
Colombia’s government asked for international aid “solely in the form of supplies” after a Monday magnitude 7.4 earthquake, and El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele said Colombia did not call for foreign rescue teams despite offers from at least six countries and multilateral bodies.
“Colombia has requested humanitarian aid solely in the form of supplies”
Bukele wrote on social media that “We have been informed that its rescue teams, doctors and other emergency services are deployed,” adding that “at this time they do not require personnel support.”
The State Department said it activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team on Monday, due to arrive in the country on Tuesday, while China’s ambassador in Bogotá, Zhu Jingyang, called for a liaison official to be designated to coordinate assistance.
Colombia’s emergency cooperation system is centralized in the National Disaster Risk Management Unit, which must set out requirements before the foreign ministry passes them to donors, and President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the appointment of geological engineer David Suárez Tamayo to head the unit.
Search for 3,000 missing
In the earthquake-hit Colombian city of Cali, rescue volunteers raised their fists and shouted “Quiet!” as they tried to catch even the faintest voice of a survivor trapped under rubble.
A CNN journalist described the city as “eeriely quiet,” while Jairo Vargas, who drove 220 kilometers to find his brother, said, “There is almost no hope.”
The Washington Post, AP, and AFP reported that rescue efforts were continuing for a second day after the magnitude 7.4 quake struck on August 10, cutting off water and communications in major Colombian cities.
The Bogota fire department posted a rescue video on X stating, “The rescue operation for a 35-year-old man was successful at 3:57 a.m.,” and the Associated Press reported the number of missing people exceeded 3,000 while the death toll reached 254.
Pereira response and aid
In Pereira, communities searched through rubble and cleared debris with bare hands as displaced families sheltered outdoors in parks and open spaces while they waited for emergency assistance.
“All Hands & Hearts mobilized its disaster relief team to Colombia within hours”
All Hands & Hearts said its disaster relief team was on the ground in Pereira within hours of the earthquake, and that its Andrés met with the Pereira Fire Department to identify the most urgent needs.
The organization delivered critical search-and-rescue equipment including concrete cutting tools, jackhammers, chainsaws, pickaxes, and shovels, while rescue crews worked non-stop to reach people who may still be trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
President Abelardo de la Espriella visited Pereira and promised, “My heart is broken to see the destroyed shops in the city,” pledging economic support for three months, even as it was confirmed that some areas had not received relief supplies.
