Ten days after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit western Colombia, United Nations agencies say about 1.2 million people need humanitarian assistance. Aid partners are requesting $148.1 million to help 671,000 people, focusing first on the departments of Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó and Caldas. Government figures cited by the UN report more than 300 deaths, 426 people missing and over 4,500 injuries. Damage to at least 413 roads has complicated access, and some communities have received little or no aid so far.
Many families are sleeping outdoors because they fear their damaged roofs will collapse. IOM specialist Jean-Philippe Antolin said structural assessments are urgently needed before people return home. Heavy rain is making shelters worse and helping vector-borne diseases such as dengue spread more easily. Meanwhile, FAO warns of a critical information gap about damage to crops, livestock and fishing, since the quake struck during planting and harvest.