One month after the earthquake in Ecuador

Nearly a month after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador, destroying homes and communities, families are still processing the trauma they suffered. They are also seeking safer ground—there are now 50 makeshift shelters, each housing hundreds of people in the province of Esmeraldas, with new people arriving daily in the hopes of finding a secure place to stay and sleep. Many Ecuadorians fear the worst is yet to come, believing that a tsunami may be next.

Nora Macias, a widow with five children, remembers clearly the day the earthquake struck. She was in her kitchen washing dishes, when her dogs started barking for no apparent reason. She then heard a loud noise, and within seconds, the earth begin to shake underneath her.

“I grabbed my baby and ran out of the house,” Nora said. “I screamed with all of my might, calling the rest of my children. Thank God we are all safe. Now we live in a hostel that is serving as a makeshift shelter. The heat and humidity here are suffocating. About 500 people are staying here, huddled on mattresses on the floor under black plastic tarps that only increase the heat during the day.”

An estimated 9,500 people have been displaced in Esmeraldas since the earthquake struck on April 16th. It is the country’s second-most affected province after Manabi, which is receiving significantly more government assistance. Heat, lack of clean water, food shortages, overcrowding, and recurrent mosquito bites cause extremely difficult living conditions. These conditions could easily deteriorate further, introducting serious public health problems.

Our Response

Action Against Hunger mobilised a team of ten experts within 24 hours of the earthquake. After completing initial emergency assessments in Esmeraldas, the team began distributing hygiene kits, water purification filters, and mosquito nets, as well as setting up safe water points in communities.