Families in Colombia are searching for missing relatives one month after a double earthquake devastated several cities [1].
The lack of an official count of the disappeared complicates rescue efforts and leaves hundreds of families in a state of uncertainty. This vacuum of data hinders the coordination of search parties and the distribution of aid in the hardest-hit regions.
Search efforts are concentrated in Armenia, Pereira, Manizales, and Cali [2, 3]. The seismic events caused severe structural damage and forced the closure of three airports in Pereira, Manizales, and Cali [2].
Local authorities have not provided a definitive number of people missing since the disaster. "No manejamos una cifra oficial de desaparecidos," authorities said [1].
Residents described the intensity of the event as unprecedented in recent history. Alberto Echeverri said the earthquake felt more intense and prolonged than the one that struck in 1999 [2].
While the destruction remains widespread, some areas have avoided the worst casualties. In certain sectors, the city reports no deaths [2]. Despite this, families continue to sift through rubble in hopes of finding survivors or remains [1].
The disaster disrupted critical infrastructure across the region. The closure of major airports limited the arrival of immediate international support during the first weeks of the crisis [2].
Families continue to organize independent search groups as they wait for government data to clarify the scale of the loss [1].
“"No manejamos una cifra oficial de desaparecidos,"”
The absence of an official missing persons registry suggests a breakdown in administrative coordination following the disaster. By failing to quantify the disappeared, the Colombian government limits the ability of NGOs and international agencies to allocate resources effectively, shifting the burden of recovery onto the affected families.
