In December 2010 devastating flooding in Colombia killed more than 200 people and left 1.7 million homeless. The damage caused was catastrophic, with 628 cities and towns hit by floodwaters, over 1,800 homes destroyed and a further 256,000 damaged.

Like the victims of most natural disasters across the world, the vast majority of those who lost relatives, homes and belongings, many of them poor farmers living in isolated rural areas, will receive no compensation for their losses and will have to rebuild their lives from scratch.

With the floods largely ignored by the international community, government assistance patchy and slow, and aid agencies struggling to fill the void, Colombia’s insurance agencies are saying they can provide a much-needed safety net for when the rains return.

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