Colombia: Conflict-affected families lose everything again after deadly earthquake

Families already displaced by armed conflict in Colombia are facing renewed devastation after a deadly earthquake destroyed homes, schools and livelihoods in some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.

Giovanni Rizzo, country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Colombia, said the earthquake struck as more than nine million people were already dependent on humanitarian assistance.

The affected population includes survivors of armed conflict, refugees and migrants, as well as communities hit by severe floods and droughts. Rizzo said about 10 per cent of those in need live in areas now among the hardest hit by the earthquake.

“The disaster impacts major cities and rural communities alike,” Rizzo said, adding that many families in rural areas who had already been displaced by conflict had now lost everything once again.

In the western town of El Cairo, the destruction has been particularly severe. According to the mayor, most homes are now uninhabitable, with many of the affected families having previously fled conflict.

One earthquake survivor told an NRC team that the disaster had marked the third time they had lost their home.

“I had a home, but I lost it when I was forced to flee Guaviare. Then I went to Chocó and was displaced a second time. Now, here, I’ve lost my home for the third time,” the survivor said.

Rizzo said the recovery effort must go beyond clearing debris and repairing damaged buildings, stressing the need to help families rebuild their lives while recognising the resilience they have developed through decades of adversity.

The earthquake has also severely disrupted education. All four schools in El Cairo are currently unusable, according to the NRC.

Rizzo said the destruction of classrooms could be particularly traumatic for children who have already experienced conflict, noting that schools can provide a crucial sense of stability and safety.

He called for emergency education to be restored as quickly as possible to help children regain a sense of normality amid the upheaval.

The NRC is distributing mattresses, blankets and cooking kits to earthquake-affected people staying in shelters across Quibdó. However, the organisation warned that humanitarian assistance needs to be rapidly expanded.

“Colombia remains one of the world’s most neglected displacement crises,” Rizzo said, urging the Colombian government and international community to ensure life-saving assistance reaches all affected communities, both immediately and throughout the long-term recovery.

He warned that the latest disaster has compounded existing humanitarian needs in a country where millions of people are already living with the consequences of conflict and repeated displacement.