Earthquake devastates Colombia's poorest Choco region

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, with its epicenter in the remote department of Choco. Government figures released Wednesday recorded at least 312 deaths and the destruction of about 29,000 homes. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said roughly 69,000 people – about 10% of the region’s population – were affected or displaced.

Choco, home to around 600,000 Afro-Colombian and Indigenous residents, has long suffered from high poverty, inadequate health and education services, and poor transport links. Only two precarious roads connect the department to the rest of the country, and many communities rely on air or river travel.

"We are facing a triple crisis," said Luis Mora, the United Nations Population Fund’s representative in Colombia, referring to the humanitarian emergency, chronic underdevelopment and ongoing armed conflict in the area.

The quake overwhelmed Quibdó’s only public hospital. Doctor Cristian Maturana reported that the emergency room was forced to treat patients in chairs and hallways, and that a power surge damaged the sole blood-storage refrigerator. Donations from Bogotá oncologists replaced the fridge, while other supplies such as antibiotics and bandages arrived from humanitarian groups.

"These seem like basic things, but they are items we have long had shortages of," Maturana said.

Humanitarian organization Colombian Environmental Movement delivered more than two tons of medical equipment, including ECG and ultrasound machines, and used private aircraft to reach isolated towns.

Roman Catholic Bishop Wiston Mosquera warned that the disaster highlights long-standing deficiencies in health care, road infrastructure and power supply, describing Choco as "decades behind" other regions.

President Gustavo Petro has visited the department twice and announced a recovery plan that includes billions of pesos for infrastructure and job-creation programs. He pledged to appoint a coordinator for the recovery effort and to provide rental subsidies for families left homeless.

Local residents remain skeptical. Math teacher Ismael Arias, whose two-story home collapsed, said he had invested about $32,000 in construction and doubted that assistance would cover his losses.

"Even if I am helped, I don’t think I will get enough," Arias said, adding that he and his partner are staying with relatives.

The region’s unemployment rate was the highest in the country last year, and its per-capita GDP is roughly a quarter of the national capital’s level, underscoring the scale of the rebuilding challenge.