Colombians in New York seek help shipping 34 tons of earthquake aid

A Colombian community in New York has gathered 34 tons of humanitarian aid for earthquake victims, but now faces a problem that is almost as daunting as the collection itself: finding a way to transport it to Colombia.

The group Colombianos en NY has promoted the campaign “Fuerza Colombia” with the Association of American Colombian Police Officers, known as CAPA. It says the campaign has collected 2,316 boxes, equivalent to 112 pallets and approximately 34 tons of donations. The cargo occupies nearly 210 cubic meters.

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This is extremely huge. Obviously, it is large, it does not fit on just any airplane.

That scale makes ordinary shipping channels difficult to use. The group is calling on airlines, companies, business owners, organizations and the national government to provide logistical support for the shipment from the United States to the areas hardest hit by the emergency.

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The idea is to get it to Colombia.

“This is extremely huge. Obviously, it is large, it does not fit on just any airplane,” Carlos Vaca, a spokesperson for Colombians en NY, told El Tiempo. “The idea is to get it to Colombia.”

The donations include food, medicines, first-aid supplies, diapers, wet wipes, new clothing, tents, inflatable mattresses and pet food. Organizers also collected helmets, gloves, flashlights, batteries, generators and construction materials for recovery work.

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We cannot wait a month, two months, to send it.

Time is a major concern for the group. “We cannot wait a month, two months, to send it,” Vaca said. “The idea is for it to reach the people who need it most.” He said the group had received reports of serious damage in municipalities and rural areas of northern Valle del Cauca and other departments, where it wants the donations distributed.

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The idea is for it to reach the people who need it most.