Colombia earthquake: UN ramps up aid for 100,000 people
Colombia earthquake: UN scales up relief for over 100,000 affected
Qinilo.com – Humanitarian agencies are accelerating their response across western Colombia in the wake of last week's 7.4-magnitude quake, according to a situation update published on Tuesday. The disaster has touched 15 departments and 472 municipalities, with needs still climbing.
Human toll and infrastructure damage
By 17 August, authorities had confirmed 304 fatalities, 4,400 injuries, and 426 people missing. Over 26,500 dwellings were reported destroyed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 186,000 people have been impacted.
The education sector has been hit hard: at least 75,000 students lack safe access to classrooms. A total of 1,631 schools sustained damage, while 263 were either partially or fully collapsed or judged to be at imminent risk of collapse.
WFP mobilises food response
The World Food Programme is requesting $23 million to deliver food aid to 100,000 people over the coming three months. On Sunday alone, more than 2,000 individuals in Pereira and Quibdó received food parcels. The agency intends to broaden its operations this week, drawing on existing stocks and its logistics infrastructure in Cali, Quibdó, and Medellín.
WFP is tailoring its approach to local realities. In isolated communities where markets have stalled and roads remain impassable, direct food distributions take priority. In urban zones where commerce and basic services are gradually returning, cash transfers allow households to purchase what they need while also injecting demand into local economies.
"The solidarity shown in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake has been extraordinary," said Nils Grede, WFP Country Director in Colombia. "But, we know from experience that recovery does not end when the first wave of support subsides."
Grede stressed that sustained humanitarian assistance will remain critical through the weeks and months ahead.
Access constraints in worst-hit zones
Relief teams continue to face severe logistical obstacles. Landslides and destruction of at least 16 roads and 10 bridges are impeding the movement of supplies and personnel, especially in Chocó. In certain rural pockets, the presence of non-State armed groups further restricts safe passage.
Pre-existing vulnerabilities compounded
The quake struck regions already under intense humanitarian strain. Prior to the disaster, nearly seven million Colombians were experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity, per WFP data. In Chocó and Valle del Cauca—two of the hardest-hit departments—roughly one in three residents was already food insecure. Ongoing conflict and displacement had further eroded livelihoods and access to essential services in these communities.
Multi-agency coordination
OCHA designates Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, and Caldas as priority departments given the magnitude of destruction. Immediate gaps span food, shelter, safe water, healthcare, and education.
The WFP operation sits within a wider UN and humanitarian framework supporting Government-led relief. Coordination clusters covering health, shelter, water and sanitation, food security, protection, and education in emergencies are active in several of the most affected cities, including Quibdó, Pereira, Armenia, Cali, and Manizales.
In Quibdó, WFP, UNICEF, and other partners have delivered food to hundreds of families. UNICEF and its collaborators have distributed household hygiene kits, while additional teams are reinforcing water and sanitation services at temporary shelters. OCHA is facilitating cross-departmental coordination. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is partnering with national authorities to analyse satellite imagery for population-exposure mapping and structural damage assessment, feeding into early-recovery planning.
WFP has positioned four mobile storage units on standby, with further relief commodities available for rapid deployment from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot it administers in Panama.
IOM flags trafficking risk
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has cautioned that displacement, family separation, and livelihood loss in the earthquake's aftermath heighten vulnerability to human trafficking. Criminal networks, the agency warned, may prey on people housed in temporary shelters or those seeking assistance elsewhere through fraudulent job offers, transport arrangements, accommodation deals, or other forms of supposed help. IOM urged affected communities to rely exclusively on official channels of support and to avoid surrendering personal identification documents to unverified intermediaries.
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