On Saturday, April 16, 2016, the largest earthquake to hit Ecuador in decades rocked its central coast, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured. Many people remain missing. Due to the remoteness of some of the villages impacted, the full scale of the disaster’s destruction may not be known for days or weeks.
What is known is that the widespread damage caused by the earthquake has left tens of thousands homeless, businesses and schools destroyed and many coastal villages reduced to rubble. Aid organizations in the United States are working alongside local groups in Ecuador and with the Ecuadorian government—which has mobilized its own emergency response efforts—to help assess the needs of impacted areas and to provide immediate assistance to earthquake victims.