Thanks to Mike Gelski KB0PVD, SATERN Coordinator for the InterMountain Division out of Denver, Colorado for the following report:


SALVATION ARMY CONTINUES COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY

Three Salvation Army disaster relief teams are helping residents of Armenia
and Pereira, Colombia, to recover from the massive earthquake that shook the area last month. Immediate aid, including the provision of meals, vaccinations and clothing, has been given from a Salvation Army base camp and Salvation Army personnel are networking with other agencies in the region. At the latest count, almost 17,000 people have received assistance from The Salvation Army.

Casualty figures indicate that the number of dead has risen to 950 and the
number of injured has increased to nearly 4,000. Up to 95 percent of homes
were damaged in the city of Armenia, 80 percent in the municipalities of
Barcelona, Calarcá and la Tebaida, and 50 percent in the center of the city of
Pereira. The nearest Salvation Army facility is in the town of Ibague, which
has suffered less damage.

According to UN and US reports, the security situation is now under control
and the rescue phase has officially ended. Sixty-five percent of Armenia's
population now have normal access to water supply and 80 percent have normal access to electricity. The Salvation Army and several other relief groups have been assigned to assist in census work to discover the most pressing needs.

Food distribution will continue. Reconstruction, sanitation, health and water
needs persist and will particularly affect the most vulnerable. There is a
great need for psycho-social recovery, especially for children.