Summary: On the morning of 5 September 2012, an earthquake with magnitude 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Costa Rica off the coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, with over 200 small aftershocks felt on the following hours. First reports gathered by the National Commission of Risk Prevention and Emergency Response indicate that some 107 communities have some level of affectation, particularly in Guanacaste and Puntarenas.
A red alert was issued by the government of Costa Rica and the National Society mobilized their emergency teams. The current DREF-supported operation will assist with detail assessments needed to better understand the scope of the affectation to the safety of homes and buildings. An exact number of affected persons have not yet been established.
This operation is expected to be implemented over three months, and will therefore be completed by December,2012; a Final Report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by March, 2013).