Earthquake Deepens Humanitarian Crisis in One of Colombia’s Poorest Regions
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) Provides €100,000 (USD 115,000) for Emergency Response
Bonn/Berlin, August 12, 2026. At least 220 people have been killed and hundreds injured when a powerful earthquake struck Colombia on Monday, causing severe damage, particularly in the western part of the country. According to the United Nations, many people are unable to return to their damaged homes and do not know where they will spend the coming nights. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) is providing €100,000 (approx. USD 115,000) to support survivors.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the department of Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest regions. Even before the earthquake, the food security situation there was difficult, with many women, men, and children facing hunger, while Colombia as a whole has a low level of hunger.
“The earthquake has hit many families who were already living under difficult conditions. Survivors now urgently need safe shelter, drinking water, food, and sanitation and hygiene services,” says Bettina Iseli, Chief Program Officer at Welthungerhilfe. Power outages, damaged roads, and disrupted mobile networks are making it particularly difficult to reach remote communities. “Our partners are on the ground assessing where needs are greatest and what assistance is most urgently required,” Iseli adds.
WHH plans to support the emergency response of its European partner organizations Ayuda en Acción and CESVI, both members of the Alliance2015 network. The organizations have many years of experience and well-established networks in the region and, just a few weeks ago, organized a similar relief operation following the earthquake in Venezuela.
WHH is appealing for donations to support people affected by the earthquake under the keyword “Colombia Earthquake.”
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 13,424 overseas projects in about 72 countries and territories have been supported with 5.76 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, through approaches ranging from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
