When a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, killing at least 273 people, leaving hundreds missing, and destroying infrastructure across the region, grantee partner organizations of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Refugees Initiative were immediately and deeply affected. In the city of Cali, where many organizations have offices and support programs for refugees and migrant families, the damage to infrastructure and strained resources have presented new challenges.
“The situation in affected areas around Cali is extremely serious,” says Carolina Duran, Director of grantee partner Building Markets’ Latin America office. “There are victims and people still missing, and several businesses in our network have been directly impacted. Some have suffered damage to their physical infrastructure, have had to evacuate, and will now need to invest in assessments, structural studies, and necessary repairs to reopen safely.”
In addition, many small and medium enterprises owned by or employing refugees in the area are facing significant inventory challenges—both in terms of items damaged in the earthquake and the disruption of planned sales and operations during events cancelled in the aftermath of the disaster.
Refugee small businesses are already transforming these challenges into opportunities to help, however. Across Building Markets’ network of more than 1,400 businesses in the Cali area, many enterprises are repurposing existing inventory and supplies to support relief efforts.
In coordination with traditional humanitarian actors like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, these businesses have “sourced inventory they already had in stock, including fully produced items, so they could deliver it to rescuers” searching for earthquake survivors, Duran says. Refugee business owners are using their resources to purchase emergency food and water supplies for search and rescue teams, as well as support logistic and inventory needs for the ongoing humanitarian operation.
To support the sustainability of these efforts, as well as assist grantee partners in conducting needs assessments and market resilience efforts that keep revenue and essential goods and services flowing, the Hilton Foundation is committed to supporting partners working in western Colombia with additional resources and flexibility.
“Even in the most difficult circumstances, our grantee partners continue to lead with resilience, demonstrating the positive impact that refugee- and locally led organizations and businesses can have within their communities,” notes Barri Shorey, Senior Program Officer for the Foundation’s Refugees, Disasters and Aviation initiatives. “Because this earthquake has affected areas of Colombia that were already vulnerable to economic challenges, we know how important it is to equip partners in responding not only to immediate needs, but also recovery and rebuilding efforts.”
To learn more about our grantee partners’ emergency response efforts, please visit the websites of Building Markets Colombia, Secretariado de Pastoral Social de la Diócesis de Palmira and Fundación Juntos Se Puede. The Hilton Foundation also provides direct support for the Municipality of Cali, which is coordinating the response.