Action by Churches Together (ACT) Update - Colombia 1/2000 - LACO 91: Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation Geneva, 7 April 2000
On 25 January 1999, an earthquake registering 6 on the Richter Scale struck a mountainous region in the west-central part of Colombia's coffee growing area, one of the country's most developed regions. Among the 28 towns that were affected, Armenia, the provincial capital of Quindio, was the worst hit. Official figures for the disaster were 1,186 deaths and 8,563 injuries. According to the Colombian Government census 35,972 houses were destroyed and 43,476 damaged. A total of 90,474 families were registered as homeless of which 35% were accommodated in camps, tents, or in provisional shelters in parks, sports fields, or in the streets. Almost all the schools were damaged or destroyed, along with many hospitals and health centres. Latest events The Government-appointed national co-ordinating body, Fund for the Reconstruction of the Coffee Region (FOREC) continues to control and coordinate the rehabilitation and reconstruction process. NGOs were invited to take responsibility for the rehabilitation of individual municipalities and to present a plan of action and a budget and in August 1999 agreements were signed with 32 NGOs, each responsible for one municipality. The geological study to determine where it is safe to build and re-build has taken longer than expected, and the reconstruction works have subsequently been delayed. During the last months house building has speeded up with 80,000 loans being approved to house or site owners who can prove their ownership. However, around 50,000 persons still live in temporary shelters, the majority of them former tenants who were not included in the FOREC response. It has been announced that they will be provided with a lump sum of U$3,000 to assist them in rehousing. Low cost housing schemes are under construction to meet the needs of some of this group. The Colombian Government and FOREC consider that a further one and a half years are needed to ensure housing for everybody. The continuous rains suffered in the region since September 1999 caused by "la nina" and the critical humanitarian situation of Colombia have hindered the reconstruction process. ACT Response An ACT/Colombia Committee was created to respond the emergency and Appeal LACO 91 was launched in March 1999. The coordinating agency of the appeal is Christian Aid and the implementing members are: The Evangelical Lutheran Church, The Presbyterian Church (through PADES), The Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church and MENCOLDES. The completion of the activities was foreseen for the end of February 2000. Due to the facts mentioned above, the implementation of the activities of the appeal have been delayed. Therefore, the coordinating agency and the implementing partners have requested, and ACT CO has authorized, an extension of the date of completion of the appeal until the end of June. The following are the activities in process: Implementing Members Localities Beneficiaries Activities Lutheran Church Pereira 18 Families Construction of 18 single storey family homes Construction of a community center Income activities (6 groups) Presbyterian Church/PADES Armenia Circasia 162 Families Attention to youth and children Community organisation Methodist Church Armenia Calarca 150 Families Training and support of small businesses Child care Centre Episcopal Church Quimbaya 15 Families Construction of 15 houses CA/MENCOLDES La tebaida 200 Families Construction of 200 houses Community strengthening Economic stabilisation Community organisation Sharing of experiences Thank you for your kind attention and support. For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Elsa Moreno (phone +41 22 791 6420) distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -