Emergency relief supplies dispatched by India to Colombia have reached Bogota and were formally handed over to local officials to support recovery efforts following the severe earthquake that struck the South American country on August 10.
“The first tranche of humanitarian assistance sent by the Government of India arrived and was handed over to support Colombia in the aftermath of the earthquake of 10 August. India stands in solidarity with the people of Colombia and reaffirms its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries,” the Indian Embassy in Bogota posted on X on Thursday.
An initial consignment containing 20 metric tonnes of disaster relief materials was airlifted to Colombia last week, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterating India’s support for the people of the country amid the crisis.
“Dispatched the first tranche of the 20 MT relief supplies to Colombia to support ongoing post-earthquake recovery efforts. The assistance includes medicines and medical equipment, temporary shelter and hygiene support, and other essential items needed in the aftermath of the disaster. India stands in solidarity with the people of Colombia during these difficult times,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
The humanitarian assistance comes as Colombia continues to deal with the aftermath of the major earthquake, underscoring India’s role as a first responder in humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters.
On Wednesday, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella issued an executive order declaring a 30-day state of economic, social and ecological emergency in areas affected by the August 10 earthquake.
The order, approved following a Cabinet meeting in Bogota, covers 15 affected departments, including Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Caldas, as the government mobilises resources to deal with the widespread destruction.
The President said his administration planned to cut funding for non-essential programmes initiated by the previous government and redirect resources towards urgent disaster relief, while seeking to minimise the impact on vulnerable sections of the population.
According to official figures released by Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management on Wednesday evening, the 7.4-magnitude earthquake in western Colombia killed 319 people, injured 4,469 and left 260 missing. Rescue teams have so far pulled 364 survivors from the rubble.
The disaster management authority said 476 municipalities across 15 departments were affected, with around 272,830 people directly impacted by the earthquake.
(ANI)
