Qatari field hospital arrives in Colombia to aid earthquake victims

Qatar has sent a fully equipped field hospital to Colombia to support relief efforts following last month’s deadly 7.4-magnitude earthquake.A Qatari military aircraft carrying humanitarian aid, including a fully equipped mobile field hospital, has arrived in Bogotá to support communities affected by Colombia’s devastating earthquake.The aircraft departed Doha carrying the hospital, provided by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), as part of Qatar’s humanitarian response to the disaster.Footage shared by Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali Al Misnad showed the aid arriving in the Colombian capital, where Qatar’s Ambassador to Colombia Issa bin Jaber Al Kuwari joined Foreign Ministry officials as supplies were unloaded.The hospital will support Colombian health authorities and medical facilities in areas affected by the earthquake, providing urgent healthcare and helping increase the capacity of the country’s health sector during the emergency response.Lekhwiya’s Qatari International Search and Rescue Group is also supporting the hospital’s setup and handover to ensure medical services can begin quickly.The aid comes after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on 10 August, with its epicentre near San José del Palmar in Chocó province. Cali and Pereira were among the cities particularly badly affected.Official figures as of 28 August recorded 331 deaths and 4,449 injuries, while 143 people remained missing, according to a UN Development Programme assessment. More than 406,000 people were affected and over 225,000 structures damaged.Qatar said the deployment forms part of its commitment to humanitarian solidarity, crisis response and assisting communities affected by natural disasters.