The United States is sending an additional $11 million in humanitarian assistance to Colombia following a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country earlier this week, the State Department announced Friday.
Relief Efforts
The new funding brings total U.S. earthquake relief for Colombia to $26.5 million following the disaster on August 10. The aid package covers emergency food, shelter, healthcare, and water supplies, along with structural safety assessments in heavily damaged areas.
Federal officials said the relief is being distributed through international organizations and aid groups, including the UN World Food Program, UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, Catholic Relief Services, and the Red Cross.
To speed up delivery, the State Department is working with U.S. Southern Command to fly emergency cargo directly from a prepositioning warehouse in Miami to Colombia. The first transport flight was scheduled to leave Homestead Air Force Base in Florida on Friday, carrying shelter materials, water purification tools, and hygiene kits.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
