Volunteers gather aid at Bogotá's El Campín for earthquake victims

Bogotá's iconic Nemesio Camacho El Campín stadium has transformed into a vital hub for earthquake relief efforts, with hundreds of volunteers collecting essential supplies for regions devastated by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Canned foods, diapers, and hygiene products are among the items being gathered to aid those affected by the powerful tremor that struck Colombia on Monday.

From early morning, volunteers, many sporting the Colombian national football team's jersey, formed human chains to efficiently receive, sort, and package donations. The earthquake, which hit at 7:34 a.m. local time on Monday, originated near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, with other heavily impacted areas including Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Caldas, and Quindío.

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Everything we collect is little; we need a lot of help.

Mauricio Hoyos, director of Sencia, the stadium's operating company, emphasized the ongoing need for assistance, stating, "Everything we collect is little; we need a lot of help." The joint initiative by Sencia and the Colombian Red Cross anticipates mobilizing approximately 1,000 volunteers each day to manage the incoming donations.

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You never know when it will be your turn.

Herbert González, a Bogotá resident and volunteer, shared his motivation for participating, drawing from his experience in a previous aid campaign for Venezuelan earthquake victims. "You never know when it will be your turn," he told EFE. González decided to volunteer immediately after learning about the scale of the emergency, which, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), has resulted in at least 239 fatalities and 3,755 injuries as of Wednesday.

El Campín stadium has a history of serving as a collection point for humanitarian aid, having previously hosted similar drives for earthquake victims in Venezuela. The Colombian Red Cross is coordinating the distribution to ensure aid is sent "homogeneously and that donations are delivered equitably," with no specific area currently prioritized.

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to send the aids in a homogeneous way and that the donations are delivered equitably