ع
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella vowed to set up an emergency fund to help rebuild hospitals, schools, homes and infrastructure destroyed by a major earthquake, according to a Reuters report on August 12. The president declared both a national state of emergency and an economic emergency to speed access to resources in the wake of the disaster that struck on August 10. De La Espriella, who took office only days before the quake, placed rescue and aid delivery as the top priority while outlining the fund’s role in addressing widespread destruction across western regions including areas near Cali and Pereira. The announcement frames Colombia establishes emergency fund for earthquake reconstruction as a central element of the government’s immediate and longer-term response.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed 265 people and left nearly 500 unaccounted for, Reuters figures show, with the toll expected to rise as search operations entered a critical phase on August 12. Rescue teams worked to free survivors from collapsed buildings, including sections of a hospital, while damage assessments continued in the coffee-growing region. A Reuters dispatch noted that 32 structures had collapsed in Cali alone, compounding challenges for emergency responders already stretched by the scale of the event. The president stated that the national government had deployed all available capabilities to protect lives and deliver assistance.
International support has begun to materialise, with the United States allocating 15.5 million dollars for emergency shelter, food, protection and damage assessments, according to a Reuters update. The Inter-American Development Bank indicated it had made 50 million dollars immediately available for reconstruction support if requested by Colombian authorities. The United Nations, in a release on its news service, confirmed that its teams were liaising with Colombia’s disaster risk management agency to monitor the situation and prepare an initial emergency response meeting to identify needs.
Humanitarian organisations have also activated targeted relief, with Direct Relief committing an initial 50,000 dollar emergency grant to the Colombian Civil Air Patrol and preparing shipments of medicines and medical supplies, the organisation reported. GlobalGiving established a dedicated Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund to channel resources toward emergency care equipment, shelter, food, clean water and earthquake-resilient rebuilding, according to its public appeal. These efforts complement the government’s emergency fund by addressing immediate humanitarian gaps while longer-term reconstruction planning advances.
The quake struck just days after De La Espriella assumed the presidency, thrusting his administration into its first major crisis, Reuters observed. It follows twin earthquakes in neighbouring Venezuela in June that claimed more than 6,000 lives, underscoring regional seismic vulnerabilities. Colombian officials, including Choco governor Nubia Cordoba, told local media via Reuters that the physical damages remain unquantifiable at this stage, complicating precise budgeting for the new fund. Coordination between national authorities, the UN and international donors is expected to shape the fund’s eventual allocation priorities.
Local and international responders continue to focus on health system stabilisation, critical infrastructure repairs and temporary shelter for displaced families, according to updates from the UN and humanitarian groups. The emergency fund announcement forms part of a broader activation of Colombia’s disaster response mechanisms, which have mobilised urban search-and-rescue teams and stockpiles of aid. Further details on the fund’s size, governance and timeline are anticipated as damage assessments progress in the coming days.
