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The death toll from a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Aug. 10 has risen to 331, the country's National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD) said.
The agency reported the toll increased by two, while the number of injured stands at 4,439. Some 240 people remain missing, and 364 have been pulled alive from the rubble.
Following the quake, the Colombian government declared an "economic, social and ecological emergency" to facilitate the response to the destruction.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said on Aug. 18 that initial assessments put earthquake damage at $9.5 billion. He announced the creation of a new recovery fund, named the "Miracle Fund," to oversee reconstruction.
The fund will be managed based on the model of the Coffee Axis Reconstruction and Social Development Fund, established after a 1999 earthquake in the Colombian city of Armenia.
The government plans to provide rental assistance, expedited public services, and support for new housing and home repairs to families who lost their homes.
De la Espriella said families whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable will receive monthly payments of 875,452 pesos (approximately $285) for three months starting Aug. 26.
"We will not only replace what we have lost. We will build back better, with safer infrastructure and more job opportunities," he said.
More than 282,000 people have been affected by the earthquake, according to the International Organization for Migration, with the United Nations and humanitarian partners continuing to support emergency shelter, water and relief operations in the affected areas.
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