Earthquake in Colombia: Impact on Indigenous Communities Still Unclear

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is calling for indigenous communities not to be overlooked when assessing the aftermath of the earthquake in Colombia. According to the human rights organization, the impact on indigenous communities cannot yet be predicted. The earthquake on August 10 had its epicenter near the town of San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, an area home to many indigenous communities.

“The fact that there are few reports on the situation in the Chocó Department does not mean that there is no damage there. Only ten of the 35 indigenous communities in the Bojayá region of the Chocó Department were able to report on their situation 24 hours after the devastating earthquake. The news we are receiving from them is alarming. There are reports of deaths, injuries, and significant damage to homes and infrastructure,” says Jan Königshausen, Advisor on Indigenous Peoples at STP.

In El Cairo, a municipality on the border with San José del Palmar, more than 80 percent of the homes are completely or partially damaged, according to local sources; roofs have collapsed, and fatalities have also been reported. In San José del Palmar itself, direct contact has so far been cut off. Landslides are blocking the only access road, and following a power outage, internet connectivity is limited. At the same time, significant damage to homes and schools is being reported there, according to the human rights organization.

“When roads are blocked or the power goes out—causing communications to break down—entire communities can disappear from the damage assessment. That is why the authorities must specifically visit the affected Indigenous territories, assess the damage together with traditional authorities, and deliver the necessary aid directly to the communities,” Königshausen urges. The population in the department of Chocó already suffers from a lack of infrastructure, poverty, and armed violence. Indigenous communities there are repeatedly and forcibly prevented from freely leaving their territories or moving within them. The earthquake has thus struck a region whose infrastructure and government services were already inadequate before the disaster.

Authorities Must Assess Damage in Indigenous Areas

The STP calls on the Colombian authorities to systematically assess the damage in indigenous territories and to involve the cabildos—the indigenous leadership structures of the communities—in this process. It is not only the number of deaths and destroyed buildings in the cities that must be counted, but also the lack of shelter, disrupted transportation and supply routes, and access to drinking water, food, and medical care in rural and indigenous communities.

“The crucial question must not be limited to how many people have died and how much property damage has occurred. We need to know which communities are cut off, who no longer has a safe place to sleep, and where people cannot access medical care or food. If entire communities do not even appear in the damage assessment, there is a risk that emergency aid will also bypass them,” explains Königshausen.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.