A new earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale has once again shaken the southern area of Panama in the last few hours, while the country is still under the state of emergency declared after the 7.2 earthquake on Friday, which left nearly 30 injured and considerable material damage in this Central American state.
The Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama detailed in a statement that the epicenter was located about 29 kilometers northeast of Coiba National Park and specified that the hypocenter was situated at around two kilometers deep.
This tremor is part of the dozens of aftershocks of varying magnitudes recorded since the strong earthquake on Friday, which led the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, to declare the state of emergency the following day in order to organize the distribution of aid and initiate reconstruction efforts.
In parallel, the Ministry of Education of Panama announced the suspension of classes this Monday "in all official and private educational centers in the country" so that "inspections can be carried out after the earthquake and its aftershocks" and to assess the damage suffered by school infrastructures.
"This preventive measure prioritizes safeguarding the physical integrity of students, teachers, administrative staff, and other members of the educational community," explained the Ministry in a message on social media, in which it also emphasized that "acting prudently and maintaining calm is essential."
In this scenario, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned this Tuesday that about 38,000 people, including 8,300 children and adolescents, require humanitarian aid due to the earthquake, which has caused damage to homes, schools, health centers, and critical water and transportation infrastructures, especially in the provinces of Veraguas, Coclé, Herrera, and Los Santos.
"Three days after the earthquake, children and families continue to experience fear and distress due to the ongoing aftershocks. Thousands of children from the most affected communities have had their access to essential services, such as drinking water and education, interrupted," said the UNICEF representative in Panama, Olga Isaza.
"UNICEF is working closely with the Government of Panama and its allies to support children and families affected," added Isaza, referring to a context in which education has been disrupted by damage to more than 650 educational centers in the country and has forced authorities to order the aforementioned suspension of classes.
The organization also emphasized that, since the earthquake, it has set up several tents of more than 70 square meters "to support the continuity of health services in facilities affected by the earthquake," in addition to making another 16 available to health authorities while continuing with the assessment of additional needs.
At the same time, UNICEF is reviewing access to drinking water and sanitation, damage to schools, and educational requirements, and is monitoring risks to child protection related to displacement, disruption of essential services, and the impact of the earthquake on the emotional health of minors.
For this reason, the agency indicated that, in coordination with the Government and its humanitarian partners, it has expanded its emergency response and stressed that it urgently needs "2.5 million dollars (about 2.2 million euros)" to sustain vital aid and initial recovery actions aimed at children and families affected by the earthquake.