The 7.8 Richter scale magnitude earthquake that struck and shook Ecuador in April 2016 caused considerable damage in six provinces of the country, 679 victims and affected more than 385,000 people directly.

Thousands of families were evacuated due to the collapse of their houses. Water and electricity were not available for days. To make things worse, the scale of the disaster was exacerbated by the lack of immediate aid.

COOPI intervened in the canton of Muisne (in the province of Esmeraldas), the epicentre of the earthquake, to provide affected families and communities with assistance to meet their basic needs. Subsequently, as the earthquake damaged the economic activities of many local fishermen and farmers, COOPI worked with grassroots organizations to support and accompany the reconstruction process, with the aim of reactivating the economic activities of fishing families and restoring businesses, but also identifying and promoting new sales channels and markets. Those who lost their jobs were also able to benefit from the Cash for Work programme.

Finally, in response to the high levels of stress and distress that emerged during the interventions, psychosocial support activities were set up for the most vulnerable, including elder persons, female-headed households, pregnant women and the disabled.