Colombia decrees special sanitary regime to expedite earthquake relief aid

The Colombian government has enacted Decree 1327 of 2026, establishing a special, temporary, and abbreviated sanitary regime to expedite the entry of international humanitarian aid following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake. The measure aims to bypass bureaucratic hurdles to ensure the rapid distribution of medical supplies, medicines, and food to the most affected departments.

Key provisions of the decree include a 24-hour response window for the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) to authorize donations through a risk-based evaluation model. Additionally, the decree waives requirements for apostilles and consular authentication on foreign documents and allows for simplified translations or technical information in English. The regime covers biological and chemical medicines, medical gases, biomedical equipment, diagnostic reagents, dietary supplements, and essential food items. The Ministry of Health and the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) are coordinating the response to manage the national disaster declaration.