Colombia's President launches earthquake zone reconstruction

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Monday that reconstruction has begun in areas of the country impacted by the August 10 earthquake. The seismic event has so far resulted in damage to more than 150,000 homes and the collapse of nearly 600 buildings.

"Today, the reconstruction of the homeland begins from Quibdó," the president declared during his third visit to the city, the capital of the Chocó department, one of the most severely affected regions. He presented the initial measures for this new phase of emergency response, two weeks after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

As part of the reconstruction process, the government will distribute the first 4,480 tons of materials to repair damaged homes. A strategy for assisted self-repair and self-reconstruction, with guidance from engineers and other professionals, has also been launched. Additionally, the business conglomerate Grupo Argos committed to providing three hundred prefabricated houses, later increasing the pledge to one thousand, with six hundred designated for Chocó.

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Today, the reconstruction of the homeland begins from Quibdó.

Families with minor home damage will receive materials for repairs, while those whose homes are irreparable will be provided with new ones. Starting August 26, families whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable will receive a monthly aid of 875,452 pesos (approximately $285) for three months, totaling 2.6 million pesos (about $855) per household.

The latest figures from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), updated Monday, indicate the earthquake affected sixteen departments and 494 municipalities, impacting 159,924 families and 324,157 individuals. In Chocó, where the epicenter was located, twelve deaths, three disappearances, 3,521 destroyed homes, and 19,412 damaged homes were recorded.

President De la Espriella stated, "We are not simply going to replace what was lost. We are going to rebuild what was there better, with greater safety, more resilient infrastructure, and more job opportunities." The government estimates the reconstruction cost at approximately thirty trillion pesos (about $9.5 billion). This effort will be coordinated by the "Fondo Milagro," managed by businessman Jaime Uribe. The fund will draw reference from the "Fondo para la Reconstrucción y Desarrollo Social del Eje Cafetero" (Forec), established after the 1999 earthquake in Armenia, which caused 1,185 deaths and is considered a largely positive example.

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We are not simply going to replace what was lost. We are going to rebuild what was there better, with greater safety, more resilient infrastructure, and more job opportunities.