Ecuador – Following the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador’s Pacific coast on April 16th, the government has declared a “state of emergency” in the six provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, Santo Domingo and Santa Elena.  

As of 24 April, 655 deaths and at least 4,605 injuries have been reported. Over 40,000 people are internally displaced and at least 29,000 are sheltering in public spaces, including sports stadiums. Over 6,698 buildings have been completely destroyed and 2,740 seriously damaged, including 281 schools. The government and aid agencies estimate that over 720,000 people are in need of humanitarian aid.

Severe damage to roads and bridges has limited access to many of the affected areas and made it difficult for the government and aid workers to assess the full extent of the damage. Damage to telecommunications infrastructure and repeated aftershocks, including one registering 6.3 on the Richter Scale, are compounding the logistics challenge. Official estimates of the extent of the damage are expected to rise.

IOM has a main office located in the capital, Quito, and over 60 staff in country. This capacity was strengthened immediately after the quake through a contribution of USD 500,000 from its Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism, which enabled the immediate deployment of a rapid response team with expertise in camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), shelter, displacement tracking, and logistics.

IOM is now appealing for USD 9,250,000 from donors over the next three months for activities in its capacity as sector lead for CCCM, co-lead with IFRC for Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI), and a partner in the Early Recovery sector.

The funding breakdown is as follows:

Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) – USD 3,000,000 for 216,000 beneficiaries

• Monitoring displacement through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) – USD 400,000
• Improvements to displacement sites to ensure safe living conditions – USD 1,800,000
• Displacement site management and coordination support – USD 500,000
• Establishment of information centres and humanitarian communications – USD 300,000

Shelter and Non-food Item (NFI) – USD 5,000,000 for 33,500 beneficiaries

• Shelter and non-food relief item assistance for earthquake-affected population (including cash grants) – USD 5,000,000

Early Recovery – USD 1,250,000 for 19,200 beneficiaries

• Safe emergency debris removal and management to prepare for shelter and recovery of earthquake-affected communities – USD 1,000,000
• Priority attention to host communities (including income generating activities and support to vulnerable groups) – USD 250,000

Following the earthquake, IOM immediately deployed staff to the affected regions and together with its partners, has already identified three potential sites for displacement camps. IOM specialists are advising the Army Corps of Engineers on humanitarian standards for site planning, camp design and set-up.

On 23-24 April IOM also met with the Committee for the Registry of Displaced Persons, which includes representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Social Development, the National Statistics Institute and Ministry for Social Inclusion, to plan the deployment of IOM’s DTM. The DTM this week started to gather data on the location and needs of people displaced by the earthquake to inform the humanitarian response.

To download IOM’s Ecuador Earthquake Appeal (April-July 2016) click here. 

For more information, please contact Jimena Almeida at IOM Ecuador, Tel: + 593-2-393 4400, Ext.117, Mobile: +593- 9996 66 640, Email: jalmeida@iom.int