Colombia Earthquake Reconstruction

A devastating 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the heart of Colombia's coffee region in 1999, leaving more than 1,000 people dead, 8,000 injured, and another 425,000 otherwise affected. An estimated 61% of the families living in Armenia (37,000), the capital of the Quindio Department, were left homeless. In the neighboring city of Pereira, an additional 3,000 families lost their homes.

USAID contracted AECOM (as PADCO) to provide emergency assistance on a rapid-response basis. Under this 2-year contract, AECOM was responsible for implementing all aspects of the activity, including the design and management of sub-agreements and grants with local organizations and institutions.

A fully operational office was put in place in less than one month, and a damage assessment and institutional action plan was completed within 90 days. As part of this assessment, AECOM conducted rapid diagnostics of local households; assessed the Government of Colombia's policy, legal, and institutional framework for reconstruction; and formulated an activity designed to provide sub-grants to local NGOs. Sub-grantee NGOs were selected on the basis of demonstrated institutional capacity and ability to provide in-kind resources to supplement USAID funding. Within one year, sub-grants had been issued to support construction of 2,880 houses, a primary school, and a facility for the elderly, and construction was well under way. The program continued into 2004.