Colombia Shifts Focus to Reconstruction as Rescue Efforts Wind Down

Bogota, Colombia – A week after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rattled western Colombia, rescue efforts continue even as the chance of finding survivors grows slimmer. However, the disaster response is entering a new phase as rescue teams gradually scale down and aid organizations begin focusing on housing the homeless and providing basic necessities.

While official figures show extensive damage to homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses, the full scale of the disaster is still being assessed.

The earthquake affected 15 of Colombia's 32 provinces, leaving at least 289 people dead and 4,187 injured. The epicenter was in San Jose del Palmar, a rural town in Colombia's Pacific region, and caused severe damage to nearby cities such as Pereira, Quibdo, and Cali.

In total, 127,557 homes were damaged and 26,945 destroyed. The disaster also ravaged other critical facilities, including 285 health centers and 2,838 educational institutions. Economic infrastructure suffered significant losses, with 407 roads, 92 water systems, 44 vehicular bridges, and 5 airports affected.

Rescue Operations Wind Down

Over the past week, emergency teams have carried out relentless rescue efforts, saving 354 lives. According to government data, as of Sunday evening, 143 people remained unidentified, while an unofficial online database called Colombia Te Busca (Colombia is looking for you) put the number of missing at over 3,000.

“It's been a hard week, with little rest, because we focused on searching, locating, and rescuing potential victims,” said Sergeant Joel Bustamente, who leads the Bogota fire department's deployment in Cali. He added that the likelihood of finding people alive under the rubble has dropped significantly, and the priority for response teams is shifting to addressing the medium-term emergency.

In some places, such as the seven-story Vanessa Building in Cali, efforts to find survivors have been halted altogether. “The search and rescue operation was suspended on Friday. They are now in the body-recovery phase,” said Enrique Zapata, head of logistics for the Cali-based medical NGO SARES, who assisted with the emergency response at the Vanessa Building.

While the chances of finding survivors under the rubble diminish sharply after the first 72 hours following an earthquake, some still hold out hope. “We never lose hope,” said Maximiliano Herrera, a rescue volunteer in Cali, noting that teams in charge have said survival times could extend up to 15 days. In recent days, local rescue efforts have been bolstered by international teams from Israel, the U.S., and Mexico.

Shelter for the Displaced

With more than 120,000 families affected, authorities are under pressure to provide housing for the homeless. “Regarding long-term continuity or the medium-term response, the clear priority now is shelter and refuge,” said Egido Sanz, country director for Colombia at ActionAid, a UK-based anti-poverty NGO.

In cities like Cali and Pereira, local governments have converted spaces such as sports stadiums and community centers into temporary shelters. Veronica Echeverry, who runs a shelter at a community hall in Cali, said they have received help from residents, hospitals, and local authorities. The shelter also serves as a collection point for aid, receiving and distributing donations of food, water, hygiene items, and clothing.

However, she noted that fewer displaced people are coming to the shelter, largely because they come from wealthier areas and can rely on family and friends for accommodation. Currently, only two people are staying at the shelter, which has 11 beds.

Neglected Areas

While the need for shelter is limited in major cities like Cali and Pereira, Echeverry said other areas are in dire need of support. In places like Choco – Colombia's poorest province – the earthquake was particularly devastating due to pre-existing challenges. “This is a crisis on top of another major crisis that already existed,” said ActionAid's Sanz.

Choco is not only the epicenter of the earthquake but also a region plagued by armed conflict, drug trafficking, and illegal gold mining. In Quibdo, the provincial capital with about 130,000 residents – a hub for people displaced by violence – approximately 2,723 homes were damaged, with 1,337 now uninhabitable. Residents say the government has been slow to respond. “There has been no response from the national level regarding the construction of temporary or permanent shelters,” said Yilson Marmolejo, a Quibdo resident.

Meanwhile, the situation in the broader province, much of which is accessible only by river, remains unclear. “There are places where, even today, the true situation is not fully understood,” Sanz said.

Economic and Political Aftermath

The earthquake has also caused immense economic devastation in Colombia. Nestor Martinez, 65, a bicycle shop owner in Buenaventura for 25 years, had his store ravaged by the earthquake, damaging the awning, collapsing walls, and crushing merchandise. He estimates damages at around 350 million pesos ($111,000) and has no business insurance. “You have to scrape together money from wherever you can to get back on your feet,” he said.

Donations have come from around the world, including pledges of €2 million ($2.3 million) from the European Union and $15.5 million from the U.S. President Abelardo de la Espriella has pledged to create a reconstruction fund to repair damages, which the finance minister estimates at least $6.4 billion. The president has also declared an economic emergency, giving him the power to raise funds through new taxes, but the right-wing leader has opted to increase borrowing, primarily through a $450 million credit line from the World Bank.

The earthquake is the first major test for the leader, who took office just three days before the disaster. He faces criticism for not participating in the transition process with the previous government, hampering disaster response, and for politicizing aid by announcing he would only accept rescue teams from Israel, El Salvador, and the U.S. – countries aligned with his government's ideology.

As the country begins to look toward the long-term consequences of the disaster, emergency teams continue their grueling work digging through the rubble. “The search for survivors continues; there is always a chance of a miracle,” said Sergeant Bustamente.