TİKA Helps the Victims of Hurricane IOTA in Colombia

In Cartagena, which was affected by the heavy rains and floods caused by Hurricane IOTA, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) delivered humanitarian aid to more than 200 families and provided them with food, hygiene products, beds, blankets, and tents in cooperation with the Municipality of Cartagena and the Cartagena Office of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).

Iota, which was upgraded to a Category 5 storm and declared hurricane, had a devastating impact on the Central American countries of Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua and reached Colombia. 70% of Cartagena, one of the historical and touristic cities of Colombia, was flooded due to heavy rains.

More than 150,000 people experienced the devastating impact of the hurricane in Cartagena, especially in Tierra Baja, which is a rural area consisting of settlements around a swamp and is highly vulnerable to climate disasters. As crops were also destroyed, there was an urgent need for food and shelter supplies for the residents of Tierra Baja.

The masks manufactured at Nariño Mask Production Facility, which was built by TİKA in Colombia this year, were among the hygiene products distributed to meet the urgent needs of hurricane victims.

Expressing his gratitude for the support provided, William Dau Chamat, Mayor of Cartagena, said, “We would like to thank Turkey for this important humanitarian aid. More than 200 families will always be grateful to you. The aid provided in cooperation with Turkey is invaluable to us as it was impossible to help all affected individuals by using the city’s own resources.”

Rafael Ruiz, a resident who benefited from the humanitarian aid, expressed his feelings by saying, “I am one of the hurricane victims living in Puerto Bello (Tierra Alta). I am a rice farmer, and we have lost more than 300 hectares of rice in our region. We have been greatly affected by the flooding of houses and the allergy that children developed. Thank you for your help.”