Disaster Report: Ecuador

Communities served through Unbound were affected by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Ecuador on Feb. 22. While there were no reports of injuries or buildings destroyed, 38 Unbound families experienced flooding in their homes. Unbound currently serves more than 6,000 children, youth and elders in Ecuador.

The flooding occurred when a retaining wall collapsed as a result of the earthquake. The affected families live in communities in the province of Guayas on the Pacific coast. They are served by Unbound’s program in Naranjal.

According to Martha Romero Noboa, coordinator of the Unbound program in Ecuador, help is being provided for Unbound families whose homes were flooded. “The first step will be to provide the family with basic necessities according to the level of damage in their home and personal belongings, probably food and clothing,” Romero Noboa said. “After that, we will look into the water supply because these families do not have running water. They get water from a well which is totally dirty.”

The earthquake was felt as far away as Peru and Colombia. The epicenter was near the city of Macas in the southeast part of Ecuador, near the Peruvian border. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake hit an intermediate depth of around 82 miles, which lessened its impact.

What you can do

• Make sure your contact information is up to date. In times of natural disaster, Unbound notifies sponsors personally if we learn that their sponsored friends have been injured or otherwise seriously impacted, so keeping your information updated is important.
• Pray. The Unbound community holds all those affected and those assisting with relief efforts in our thoughts and prayers.
• Donate to Disaster Response. Unbound’s Disaster Response fund provides assistance to families in the aftermath of events like earthquakes, severe storms and fires.