How to help Colombians after devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake

- Click here to listen to this article - Share via See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred On Monday, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, killing more than 250 people so far and compromising hundreds of buildings. Many others remain trapped under collapsed structures as rescue crews race to account for the missing. The seismic event heavily impacted the country’s third-largest city, Cali, which lies near the Pacific Coast. Colombia’s Pacific region around the quake’s epicenter lies in the “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. Colombia’s Geological Service noted the quake was country’s strongest recorded tremor in the 21st century and that it was followed by nearly two dozen powerful aftershocks. Newly elected Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella declared a state of emergency to help expedite access to funds and resources. A magnitude 7.4 quake rocks western Colombia, causing serious damage to buildings and prompting evacuations as far away as Bogota The earthquake came only weeks after two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela, causing catastrophic destruction, particularly in urban areas in the northern part of the country near Caracas. The situation in Colombia is all-hands-on-deck and a litany of organizations worldwide are rallying together to get aid to earthquake victims. Here are some places people can contribute funds and resources to: World Central Kitchen The organization started by world-renowned chef José Andrés has been providing food services to disaster victims worldwide since 2010. Currently, WCK is partnering with several of the Colombian municipalities affected by the earthquake to help provide nutritious meals to those in need as quickly as possible. Donations to the organization are being accepted here. Scientists say Caracas’ seismic risk mirrors that of Los Angeles and San Francisco, where older non-ductile concrete, soft-story and brick buildings are also at risk. Direct Relief Direct Relief is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing medical resources to populations facing crisis and emergency situations. The institution is looking to supply Colombian earthquake victims with antibiotics and wound care packages and to equip paramedics with surgical equipment and field medic packs. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake has shaken a region in Peru, killing at least six people. Direct Relief has also continued to provide medical resources to Venezuela as the country carries on with its own earthquake recovery efforts. Donations to Direct Relief are being accepted here. La Cruz Roja Colombiana Colombia’s Red Cross organization is working on the ground in the disaster area to help reestablish living conditions for those affected by the quake. La Cruz Roja Colombiana is looking to provide essential medical care, help fix the failing telecommunications networks, give access to potable water, connect families and aid in rescue missions. For years, engineers worried about how collapse-prone Venezuela’s buildings could be in an earthquake. The big problem, they warned, was the prevalence of tall concrete buildings atop soft soils — the kind that amplify shaking when an earthquake strikes. Donations to La Cruz Roja Colombiana are being accepted here. The House Project The House Project’s mission is to provide shelter and support to underserved populations and communities in crisis. The nonprofit, which was founded by the Argentine-Venezuelan singer Ricardo Montaner, is currently working on getting housing for those in Colombia’s Chocó region, which was most heavily affected by Monday’s earthquake and which is home to the largest Afro-Colombian population in the country. The organization is also helping families get access to blankets, food, water, medicine and other basic supplies. After 17 years with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, departing music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel will play a final benefit concert for Venezuela at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 23. “Today Colombia needs us,” said Marlene Rodríguez de Montaner, one of the leaders of The House Project and wife of Ricardo Montaner. “Solidarity is one of the most important ways to tell someone: I am here. That’s why we invite you to help, together.” Donations to The House Project are being accepted here. All Hands & Hearts The All Hands & Hearts organization is already on the ground in Colombia helping search-and-rescue crews by providing necessary equipment needed by emergency responders. “After meeting with the Pereira Fire Department to assess the most urgent needs, our team immediately delivered critical search and rescue equipment, including concrete cutting tools, jackhammers, chainsaws, pickaxes, and shovels,” the company wrote Monday in an Instagram post. “[O]ur team is also working alongside local authorities to source additional lighting equipment for overnight operations, as well as blankets and rehydration supplies for patients being treated outside a damaged hospital.” Donations to All Hands & Hearts are being accepted here. GlobalGiving This organization has connected nonprofits with donors and companies for more than 20 years. GlobalGiving launched the Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund to support Colombia’s recovery efforts. The fund will provide local organizations with emergency care equipment, medical supplies, shelter, food and clean water. Resources will be allocated toward helping rebuild infrastructure so that it’s earthquake resilient. Donations to GlobalGiving’s Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund are being accepted here. CARE The nonprofit CARE has provided humanitarian aid to Colombia since the mid-1950s, allowing it to have an extensive network of partnering organizations through the South American country. CARE is currently helping equip those in need after the earthquake with emergency medical services, temporary shelter, food, water and personal hygiene supplies. “We are particularly concerned about women and girls, children, older people and people with disabilities, who can face additional challenges in the aftermath of large-scale disasters like this,” CARE’s Colombia director Catalina Vargas wrote in a statement. “When homes are destroyed and families are displaced, existing inequalities can deepen and protection risks can increase, particularly for women and girls.” Donations to CARE are being accepted here. Project HOPE The global health and humanitarian organization Project HOPE has people on the ground in Colombia to help usher in relief efforts. Teams from Project HOPE will deliver life-saving medical services, along with water, hygiene supplies and shelter. “People are scared of aftershocks — but despite their fears, health workers are continuing to provide lifesaving care in cracked buildings,” Project HOPE leadership said in a recent statement. “In the coming days, we need to have their backs so they can keep doing their jobs and see that they aren’t alone.” Additionally, the organization is putting a premium on providing mental health support for those in the earthquake-stricken areas. Donations to Project HOPE are being accepted here.