Emergency Ecuador's Earthquake Appeal

Please help protect families in Ecuador now!

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern town of Muisne in Ecuador. Tragically nearly 660 people have lost their lives, more than 8,000 are confirmed as injured and over 230 people are missing. This is the most powerful earthquake to strike the country since 1979 and there is widespread damage reported up to 190 miles away from the epicentre.

UNHCR has answered the Government of Ecuador’s call for assistance and already delivered lifesaving supplies to contribute to the emergency response effort. We airlifted life-saving supplies including tents, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, and kitchen sets, directly from UNHCR’s warehouse in Copenhagen, following discussions with our staff on the ground and the Government of Ecuador. These items provide immediate shelter to people left stranded out in the open, particularly at night time, and mosquito nets which will help prevent a major outbreak of malaria amongst survivors who have already been through so much.

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Our team on the ground has our assessment underway to help us plan how to reach and support some 134,000 refugees and asylum seekers and the communities where they live.
UNHCR has been on the ground in Ecuador for almost 20 years, where the Government has generously hosted the largest number of refugees in Latin America. As many as 1,000 people arrive in Ecuador every month – of which up to 98% are fleeing conflict and violence in Colombia.

Our staff on the ground are mobilising and assessing the needs for more in depth support so that we can plan our response carefully to reach survivors as fast as possible. UNHCR has a Branch Office in Quito and 3 field offices in: Lago Agrio, Ibarra and Tulcán. We urgently need your help to fund HKD7.8 million of lifesaving items to support survivors.
Please give an urgent gift today.

Donation Hotline: (+852) 2388 3278
Donation A/C : HSBC 502-393333-001

Donation by cheque: Please make cheque payable to "THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES" and mail to 1/F, Eaton House, 380 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong

A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake has killed hundreds of people, injured some 4,600 and left thousands fighting to survive out in the open without shelter. ©EPA/J. Jacome

UNHCR Core Relief Items being loaded onto an aircraft at Billund Airport, bound for Quito, Ecuador. This emergency airlift includes some 18,000 mosquito nets, 15,000 sleeping mats, 900 tents, plastic sheets and kitchen sets, dispatched from UNHCR’s global logistics hub in Copenhagen to help people displaced by the worst earthquake to strike Ecuador in decades. ; On Saturday, 16 April 2016, Ecuador was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake -the most powerful to strike the country since 1979. Hundreds of people have been killed and widespread damage has been reported up to 190 miles away from the epicentre.

UNHCR staff on the ground are mobilising and assessing needs for more in depth support, in order to reach earthquake survivors as quickly as possible. ; On Saturday, 16 April 2016, Ecuador was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake -the most powerful to strike the country since 1979. Hundreds of people have been killed and widespread damage has been reported up to 190 miles away from the epicentre.