Dominican Republic sends Colombia 50 tons of earthquake aid

A Dominican naval vessel has brought 50 tons of humanitarian aid to Colombia for communities still dealing with the devastation caused by the earthquake recorded on Aug. 10.

The cargo, delivered to the port of Cartagena aboard the Almirante Didiez Burgos, includes nonperishable food, work tools, medicines and personal hygiene kits. Colombian forces transferred the supplies to the military vessel Golfo de Morrosquillo for the next stage of the journey.

From the river port of Turbo, military boats will carry the aid along the Atrato River to Quibdó and riverside settlements in Chocó, one of the areas reporting the greatest structural damage. The Dominican donation adds to 640 tons of supplies sent by international partners over the past three weeks, including the United States, Israel, Argentina and El Salvador.

The latest official disaster assessment lists 331 deaths, 4,519 injuries and 136 missing people. More than 466,000 people have been affected across 16 departments. The assessment recorded 201,005 damaged homes and 36,336 destroyed homes in 494 municipalities.

The earthquake’s epicenter was in San José del Palmar, in Chocó. State and military brigades are continuing to distribute supplies in Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Cauca and Nariño as reconstruction plans move forward.