Barranquilla sends 22 tonnes of cement and 9,000 blocks to help rebuild earthquake-hit Pereira

Barranquilla is joining the reconstruction effort in Pereira with 22 tonnes of cement and 9,000 concrete blocks, shifting its support from immediate relief to the repair of homes and community spaces.

The materials are being handed to authorities in Pereira, who will distribute them among affected families and determine how to use them in recovery projects. The shipment follows the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and leaving more than 300,000 people affected across several regions.

In the first days after the disaster, institutional efforts focused on emergency response, the search for victims, rescue operations and basic assistance. Three weeks later, attention has increasingly turned to rebuilding homes and restoring areas that suffered serious structural damage.

Barranquilla’s district administration said the new delivery was ordered after Mayor Alejandro Char instructed the Office of Risk Management to support recovery work in the affected territories. The city had already sent more than 340 tonnes of humanitarian aid since the earthquake.

The cement and blocks mark a new phase in that assistance, aimed at providing essential materials for repairs and construction as Pereira and other affected communities move through the longer recovery process.