Chocó is furthest behind
In Chocó and Quibdó, only about 17% of registered families had received rent support by mid-October — 2,847 of roughly 17,000. Much of the department is reachable only by river or air.
7:34 a.m. · 10 August 2026 · San José del Palmar, Chocó
The ground moved. Here is where to send help.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia — the strongest in a decade. The emergency is over. The rebuilding has barely started. This page tracks where recovery stands, who is still funding it, and where affected families can get help.
Updated 21 October 2026Recovery phaseCorrections logged below
Two months on
What the earthquake did
During the emergency this site published no casualty figures, because they changed by the hour. These are the government’s consolidated numbers, dated. They may still be revised.
486,917
people registered as affected
243,409
homes damaged or destroyed
36,478
homes destroyed outright
335
people killed
4,516
people injured
103
people still listed missing
Source: UNGRD (national disaster agency), cut-off 9 Oct 2026, 6:30 a.m., as reported by Vanguardia.
3,872 schoolsaffected in 387 municipalities — nearly a million students’ schooling disrupted. MinEducación via Portafolio
~400 health facilitiesaffected, reported by UNGRD to PAHO in September. PAHO SitRep 8
COP 42.1 trillionin estimated direct damage (UNDP and UNGRD estimate). Teleamazonas
The quake was deep (103 km, per the Servicio Geológico Colombiano), which spread its energy across a huge area: officially 16 departments and around 500 municipalities. Most deaths were in Valle del Cauca and Risaralda — Cali and Pereira — while Chocó has the highest share of its population affected.
Where recovery is stuck
The gaps money can still close
People left off the registry
The official damage registry (RUD) closed on 4 September. The Procuraduría says rural and ethnic communities were left out, and that Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas lack engineers and machinery.
Reconstruction money hasn’t arrived
Fondo Milagro, the national reconstruction fund, took weeks to start operating and transparency groups have raised concerns. As of 8 October, Risaralda — planning a reconstruction of more than COP 20 trillion — had not received its money.
Mental health and shelters
PAHO rates the mental-health risk as very high. Some shelters lack water, and one in Armenia had a COVID outbreak. In Cali, 60 buildings are marked for demolition; rebuilding is targeted to start by December.
Response timeline
What has been decided so far
- 10 Aug 2026
M7.4 earthquake at 7:34 a.m., epicentre San José del Palmar, Chocó, depth 103 km (SGC). source
- 11 Aug 2026
Decree 1171 declares a national disaster for 12 months (extendable) and opens a “SISMO 2026” sub-account in the national disaster fund. source
- 13 Aug 2026
The IFRC launches emergency appeal MDRCO036 for CHF 25 million. source
- 19 Aug 2026
Decree 1261 declares a 30-day economic, social and ecological emergency. source
- 26 Aug 2026
UNGRD Resolution 0765 sets three months of rent support for registered households whose homes were destroyed or are uninhabitable. source
- 4 Sep 2026
The Registro Único de Damnificados (RUD) closes. source
- 9 Sep 2026
Decree 1379 creates Fondo Milagro, the reconstruction trust fund administered by Fiducoldex. source
- 5 Oct 2026
The Procuraduría warns that rural and ethnic communities were left out of the registry and that aid is slow in Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas. source
- 9 Oct 2026
Latest consolidated UNGRD figures: 16 departments and about 500 municipalities affected. source
Where to give now
Appeals still funding recovery
Every organization from the original page, re-checked on 21 October 2026, with an honest status. Buttons open the organization’s own page — we never handle your money.
IFRC — Colombia earthquake appeal
Global → Cruz Roja Colombiana
The international Red Cross federation's emergency appeal (MDRCO036) seeks CHF 25 million to back Cruz Roja Colombiana's earthquake operation — shelter, health, water and cash for families. Latest operations update: 22 September 2026.
Americares
US / Colombia
Had staff in Colombia before the quake. Still marked an active emergency: medicines, supplies and support for clinics so health care keeps running in affected towns.
Direct Relief
US / Global
Shifting from rescue to keeping health care running: mobile medical teams and locally led care in the Eje Cafetero and Chocó, chronic-disease medicines, maternal care and safe water.
GlobalGiving — Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund
US / Global
Pools donations and grants them to vetted local nonprofits for relief and long-term recovery — including small Colombian groups the large agencies miss.
World Central Kitchen
US / Global
Served over a million meals after the quake, working with Colombian restaurants and cooks, and moved into recovery support (food kits, community kitchens) in September. This button goes to its Colombia campaign.
Convoy of Hope
US / Global
Confirmed a response on the day of the quake, moving food, water and hygiene kits. Its Colombia page has not been updated since 11 August, so we can't confirm the response is still running.
Inside Colombia
Colombian organizations
Often the fastest route to the affected departments, and usually missing from English-language lists.
Cruz Roja Colombiana
Colombia
The national Red Cross runs the largest Colombian earthquake operation, funded in part by the IFRC appeal. Its earthquake donation page takes one-time or monthly gifts in pesos.
Presentes — Colombia Se Levanta
Medellín
The Colombia Se Levanta campaign is run by Corporación Presentes, a Medellín organization with more than four decades of work, channelling donations to communities hit by the quake. Its donation page takes gifts in pesos (minimum COP 10,000).
ABACO — Colombian Food Banks
Colombia
The national food-bank network ran an emergency food drive after the quake and keeps supplying affected communities and child-nutrition programs. Issues Colombian tax certificates for donations.
Want to help a specific family? Don’t send money to an account someone posted in a comment. GoFundMe keeps an earthquake hub reviewed by its Trust & Safety team. Check who receives the money before giving. GoFundMe’s verified earthquake hub.
Also working on earthquake recovery, and listed in the main directory: UNICEF, Save the Children, IRC, Doctors Without Borders, TECHO.
Start here
Helping in the recovery phase
Best
Money to an organization committed to the long haul
Rebuilding homes, schools and clinics takes years. Recovery appeals and monthly gifts are worth more now than they were in August, because attention has moved on and needs haven’t.
Best
Blood, if you are in Colombia — regularly
The urgent August appeal was for the emergency, but hospitals need steady donors all year. Check with Cruz Roja Colombiana or your local blood bank for hours.
Useful
Requested goods, only through an organization that asked
Emergency collection points from August have mostly closed. If you want to give items, contact the organization first and bring only what it asks for.
Careful
Personal accounts, fake officials, “aid fees”
Police warned of fake donation drives and people impersonating officials on WhatsApp. Registering for government aid is free and needs no intermediary. El País
If you were affected
Help for families and survivors
Official channels only. Numbers were published in August and September — call to confirm before travelling.
In an emergency, call 123. It is Colombia’s national emergency line.
Mental-health support lines
Free lines that were active after the quake:
| Quibdó | 314 890 7244 |
| Valle del Cauca (WhatsApp) | 316 245 8423 |
| Risaralda — Línea Amiga | (606) 333 9610 · 01 8000 949 999 |
| Manizales | 123, opción 3 |
| Bogotá | 106 |
| Medellín | (604) 444 4448 |
Rent support and the damage registry
UNGRD Resolution 0765 pays three months of rent support to registered households whose home was destroyed or is uninhabitable. The registry (RUD) closed on 4 September; the Procuraduría has asked for it to reopen.
- If you were left out, go to your alcaldía and ask about the registry and appeals.
- In Chocó, payments are made through SuperGIROS to the registered head of household with original ID.
Damaged home? Ask for an inspection
Contact your alcaldía and request a technical inspection. UNGRD also provides building materials for homes that can be repaired.
Aftershocks and scams
- Aftershock activity is declining; the SGC issued its last special bulletin on 5 October. SGC
- Felt a tremor? Report it to the SGC: sismosentido.sgc.gov.co
- Report scams to the Police’s CAI Virtual on WhatsApp: 323 273 3411
After the news cycle ends
Public attention to a disaster usually collapses about two weeks after it happens. Reconstruction takes years. Housing, schools, hospitals and roads in Chocó — one of Colombia’s poorest and least road-accessible departments — will still need funding long after coverage stops. A donation made now is worth more than one made in August, precisely because almost nobody makes it.
See open appeals
Record
Corrections and archive
Corrections are the whole job. Here is what we got wrong, and what the page said during the emergency.
- 21 OCT 2026“Colombia Se Levanta” was attributed to Give to Colombia. It is run by Corporación Presentes (Medellín); the card and link now point there.
- 21 OCT 2026We named Manizales and Pereira as the hardest-hit cities. Official figures put most deaths in Cali and Pereira; Manizales was affected less severely.
- 21 OCT 2026We listed seven departments with damage. The official count is 16 departments and about 500 municipalities.
- 21 OCT 2026Direct Relief’s link moved to its updated response page. Cruz Roja Colombiana’s link now goes to its earthquake appeal.
Emergency-phase information, August 2026 (archived)
Kept for the record. These points and appeals were for the first weeks and are likely closed — do not travel to them without confirming.
Blood donation points — Cruz Roja Colombiana opened urgent donation points in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Manizales, Armenia, Cartagena and Villavicencio. The Gobernación de Antioquia declared a red hospital alert.
Bogotá collection points — opened by the Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá with the Red Cross:
- SAMU Sur, Av. Cra. 68 #31-41 sur
- SAMU Norte, Calle 134 con Cra. 7B bis #132-31
- Centro de Salvamento Acuático, Av. La Esmeralda #63-81
- Red Cross admin office, Cra. 24 #73-38
- Red Cross warehouse, Diag. 79B #62-53
- Palacio de los Deportes, Calle 63 #59A-06
Requested in Bogotá at the time: bottled water, blankets and bedding, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, non-perishable food, and hygiene and first-aid items. Collection points were also active in Cali, Medellín and Barranquilla.
Banco de Alimentos de Bogotá — ran an emergency food drive in August. For ongoing food-bank support, see ABACO above.