Antioquia declares public calamity after August 10 earthquake, earmarking millions for reconstruction

The government of Antioquia has formally declared a state of public calamity across the department to accelerate recovery efforts following the August 10 earthquake. This measure aims to streamline processes for providing aid and allocating necessary financial resources to address the emergencies caused by the seismic event.

The decision came after an extraordinary session of the Departmental Risk Management Council, where the earthquake's impact and the priority needs in affected municipalities were assessed. Vanessa Paredes Zúñiga, director of Antioquia's Administrative Department for Disaster Risk Management (Dagran), stated that this legal and administrative instrument is essential for the immediate repair of damaged infrastructure and the management of the required budget.

A preliminary emergency response plan has been structured, estimating an investment of 38 billion Colombian pesos. This recovery scheme will coordinate actions across nine key administrative sectors, prioritizing residential housing repairs. It also includes comprehensive restoration of educational facilities, health centers, hospitals, communication routes, and various community buildings that sustained structural or operational damage.

Official reports indicate that the earthquake impacted 107 municipalities within Antioquia. Damage assessments include 4,090 affected homes, with 33 completely collapsed, along with damage to 777 educational centers, 30 hospitals and health centers, 72 religious buildings, 17 roads and bridges, and 162 non-residential buildings. The emergency has disrupted both physical infrastructure and the provision of essential services across the region.