Colombia Was Hit by Its Strongest Earthquake Since 1979 and the People Who Say They Love This Country Need to Show Up Right Now

Colombia Was Hit by Its Strongest Earthquake Since 1979 and the People Who Say They Love This Country Need to Show Up Right Now
Credit: Instagram/ convoyofhope

Colombia is my home. The people I love most in this world were there when the ground shook on Monday morning, and even though my loved ones in Medellín are safe, watching your country suffer from thousands of miles away is something no amount of news coverage can fully capture. This earthquake is the strongest to hit Colombia since 1979, a 7.4 magnitude event with its epicenter in San José del Palmar in the department of Chocó, and it has left at least 111 people dead, 87 injured, 1,575 homes damaged and 61 buildings completely collapsed as of the latest government report. Rescue teams are still working through the rubble looking for survivors, and the full picture of what this disaster has taken from Colombian families is still being assembled.

What Has Happened Across the Country

The earthquake struck at 7:34 in the morning and was felt across a wide stretch of the country, with the most severe damage concentrated in the Eje Cafetero region, Cali and several other cities in western Colombia. Pereira and its surrounding municipalities account for at least 47 of the confirmed deaths, a devastating echo of the earthquake that destroyed the same region 27 years ago and killed 1,185 people. In Cali, the capital of Valle del Cauca, at least 30 structures collapsed with people trapped inside, 15 people were killed and 380 were injured, and the city’s hospital network was placed on red alert. Manizales, Armenia, Quibdó, Buenaventura and other municipalities across western Colombia all sustained damage, and part of the iconic Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Manizales was affected. Roads, health centers and schools across the impacted zone were also among the infrastructure affected, and seven airports suspended operations to assess structural damage before Cali’s airport later resumed activity.

The epicenter in Chocó deserves particular attention because it is one of the poorest departments in all of Colombia, a region that has historically been underserved and overlooked by the systems that are supposed to protect its people. The communities there were already navigating deep inequality before the ground moved, which means that underreporting is a real concern and that the gap between what those communities need and what reaches them has always required active pressure to close. President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national disaster, activated the National Disaster Risk Management System and traveled to Pereira to oversee the response on the ground, while the United States announced $15.5 million in emergency aid for shelter, food, protection and damage assessments. Now more than ever, staying united in support of the Colombian community is not a choice but a responsibility.

What the Colombian Diaspora Is Feeling Right Now

There is a specific pain that comes with being far from home when your country is suffering. Colombians in the diaspora are watching the news, calling their families, refreshing their phones and sitting with a helplessness that has no easy resolution. Colombian people are resilient in ways that are almost impossible to articulate to someone who has not witnessed it firsthand, but resilience does not mean that suffering hurts less or that people should have to navigate disaster without support from the rest of the world.

Colombia is a country of people who have given their culture, their hospitality, their music, their food and their warmth to the world with open hands for generations, and the rest of the world has benefited from that generosity in ways both large and small. If you have ever eaten at a Colombian restaurant, danced to Colombian music, visited the country, fallen in love with its people or benefited from anything this culture has offered you, now is the moment to show up in return. Solidarity does not only apply when things are good.

How to Help Right Now

Monetary donations are the most effective way to support emergency response efforts because they allow organizations already on the ground to purchase exactly what communities need in real time rather than waiting for supplies to be shipped and processed. Here is where your money will go directly to work:

Colombian Red Cross
Accepts international monetary donations through ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org to support essential health services, telecommunications restoration, access to clean water, rescue missions and family reunification efforts.

World Central Kitchen
Already on the ground in Colombia serving meals to people in need as quickly as possible. Accepts international donations at donate.wck.org.

Direct Relief
Focused on emergency medical supply delivery and monitoring health needs to prepare supplies for first responders. Donate at directrelief.org.

All Hands and Hearts
Has mobilized disaster response teams in critical areas including Pereira and is managing resources and direct support for displaced families. Donate at allhandsandhearts.org.

GlobalGiving Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund
Channels flexible rapid funding to local organizations delivering emergency medical care, search and rescue support, temporary shelter, food, clean water and hygiene supplies. Donate at globalgiving.org.

Give to Colombia
Facilitates partnerships between international donors and local foundations already working in the affected regions. Visit givetocolombia.org.

The House Project
Supporting affected communities on the ground with direct relief efforts. Visit their channels to learn how to contribute.

UNICEF Colombia
Working to protect the most vulnerable children and families affected by the earthquake with emergency supplies, psychosocial support and child protection services. Donate at unicef.org/colombia.

Banco de Alimentos de Bogotá
Accepting donations through its website and via Bre-B at the number 0091677852.

Convoy of Hope
Accepting donations for Colombia earthquake relief at convoyofhope.org for those who prefer to give through a faith-based organization with an established disaster response infrastructure.

Physical supply donations are also needed and can be organized from anywhere. If you are organizing a collection drive in your community, coordinating with a verified local organization before dropping off supplies ensures that what you gather reaches the people who need it most efficiently.

General supplies to donate:

  • Soap and shampoo
  • Toothbrushes and toothpaste
  • Sanitary pads and tampons
  • Toilet paper
  • Diapers for babies and adults
  • Wet wipes
  • Diaper rash cream
  • Towels, sleeping mats and blankets
  • Clean sheets
  • Gently used clothing organized by size
  • Flashlights and batteries
  • Gloves, face masks and protective gear
  • First aid kits without prescription medication
  • Pet food and basic pet supplies

Food items to donate:

  • Potable water and hydration drinks
  • Rice
  • Cooking oil
  • All types of pasta
  • Lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas
  • Canned goods
  • Corn and wheat flour
  • Panela and chocolate
  • Dried fruits and nuts
  • Oats, cereals and crackers
  • Powdered milk
  • UHT liquid milk in 200ml portions
  • Ready to eat meals
  • Baby formula and infant food

Supplies for rescue workers:

  • Safety helmets
  • Protective and work gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Face masks and respiratory protection
  • Safety boots
  • Reflective vests
  • Headlamps and batteries
  • Communication radios
  • First aid kits
  • Hemorrhage control supplies
  • Thermal blankets
  • Water and hydration drinks
  • High energy foods
  • Power banks and batteries
  • Sunscreen and insect repellent
  • Basic personal hygiene items
  • Marking tape

Families with young children and elderly individuals are among the most vulnerable in displacement situations, and these items are often the last to be prioritized in emergency responses despite being among the first things people need.

If You Are in Colombia You Can Give in Additional Ways

Blood and platelet donations are urgently needed right now. Hospitals across the affected region are treating hundreds of injured patients and their supplies are under serious strain. If you are in Colombia and in good health, visiting your nearest blood bank or hospital donation center is one of the most direct ways to save a life in this moment.

Platelets in particular are critical for trauma patients and have a very short shelf life, which means the need is constant and immediate.

Other Ways to Support From Wherever You Are

If you are not in a position to donate financially, there are still meaningful ways to contribute to the recovery effort.

Share only verified information
Avoid posting graphic or distressing content unless it serves a clear public safety purpose. Prioritize verified relief efforts, trusted donation opportunities, missing or found person notices and stories of recovery.

Contact your local Colombian consulate
Ask how you can help in your immediate community and stay updated on local relief efforts being organized near you.

Help reconnect families
The Colombian Red Cross provides a free Restoring Family Links service to help reconnect families separated by the disaster. Reach them at rcf@cruzrojacolombiana.org or via WhatsApp at +57 321 213 9525.

Colombia is shaken right now in every sense of the word, and the people there are doing what Colombians have always done, holding each other up with everything they have. The least we can do from here is make sure they are not doing it alone.

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