Census on Major Earthquake Damages in Ecuador Begins

According to the government website El Ciudadano, the operation will be carried out until May 13 in order to obtain information on damages, losses and additional costs caused by the earthquake of 7.8 degrees on the Richter scale that killed 660 people.

The data collected will be used for the preparation of the Reconstruction Plan of the country, led by the National Secretariat of Planning and Development (Senplades, in Spanish) in coordination with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal, in Spanish).

Part of the research will focus on collecting data from the productive sector in the affected areas by applying a form in large, medium and small companies, to gather information on the damages that the earthquake left, mainly regarding their operation and production.

The sample consists of 1,696 companies in total, belonging to Pedernales, Jama, San Vicente, Sucre, Portoviejo, Manta, Jaramijó, Montecristi, Chone and Muisne.

Another part of the operation will take place in shelters where the families affected by the quake remain.

According to reports by Secom, more than 6,000 families required shelter after the quake as a result of the destruction of 6,998 buildings and 2,740 structures affected.

This part of the research will begin tomorrow and aims to assess the effects of the earthquake in the population considered most vulnerable.

Its parameters will allow to quantify the damage of assets such as housing, durable goods, among others and it will provide estimates of the loss of jobs and income, thus evaluating the social impact in this segment of the Ecuadorian population as well.