IOM warns that some communities in Colombia have not been reached after the earthquake

Ten days after a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has issued a stark warning: some communities remain completely inaccessible. Jean-Philippe Antolin, an IOM specialist in humanitarian response, stated that "communities that we still cannot access or have only reached once" are a major concern, emphasizing that "everything remains urgent."

Speaking from Quibdó via a virtual press conference, Antolin highlighted the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the earthquake's total impact. Preliminary figures from Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management indicate that 282,000 people have been affected, with many losing loved ones and homes. Children have been displaced from schools, and essential services like hospitals are difficult to reach. Approximately 163,000 homes are undergoing structural assessments.

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There are communities that we still cannot access or have only reached once. Everything remains urgent.

To address the escalating crisis, the IOM has launched an urgent appeal for $30 million. This funding is intended to bolster the organization's response over the next six months, covering immediate life-saving aid and transitioning towards long-term recovery. Key areas of focus include shelter, managing reception centers, providing clean water and sanitation, healthcare, protecting vulnerable individuals, and assisting communities with reconstruction.

Official reports confirm 314 fatalities, 4,437 injuries, and 364 people rescued. An additional 262 individuals are still missing. The earthquake has impacted 147,464 families, totaling 262,154 people across 471 municipalities in 15 of Colombia's 32 departments. A recent UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Colombia estimates that around 1.2 million people require humanitarian assistance as a direct result of the earthquake.

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Children have lost their schools and communities no longer have access to something as simple as a park or as essential as a hospital.