Following Colombia’s activation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Union has stepped up its emergency aid to help relief efforts for people affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western parts of the Caribbean country on 10 August.
Initially, the European Commission announced aid of €2.1 million so that the EU’s humanitarian partners on the ground, such as the German Red Cross, could provide healthcare, shelter, food and water, as well as cash assistance, to the hardest-hit communities. The Copernicus satellite network also provided damage mapping for the earthquake, which killed more than 300 people.
Since then, the Commission has dispatched an expert to the site to coordinate its delivery with those working on the ground. Sweden has offered 150 tents and 360 blankets, Germany 3,000 kitchen utensils and 2,500 water filters, and Luxembourg 79 tents.
Colombia’s new far-right president, Abelardo de la Espriella, had initially refused international aid before changing course and accepting assistance from allied countries such as the United States and Israel. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)