Colombia quake: UN raises aid target to 186,000 people

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 AUGUST 2026 —

The United Nations raised its emergency aid target to 186,000 people in western Colombia after a 7.4-magnitude quake last week, according to OCHA’s Tuesday update.

“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.”

Humanitarian access remains uneven. Landslides and damage to 16 roads and 10 bridges are blocking relief teams in Chocó, while non-State armed groups restrict movement in rural pockets. WFP is prioritising direct food deliveries in remote communities and shifting toward cash transfers in urban areas where markets are reopening.

Before the disaster, seven million Colombians already faced moderate or severe food insecurity, WFP said. In the two hardest-hit regions, Chocó and Valle del Cauca, almost one in three people were food insecure. Conflict and displacement had compounded pressure on services.

OCHA has designated Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda and Caldas as priority zones. Immediate gaps include food, shelter, safe water, healthcare and education. The UN-led response is coordinated through sector groups in Quibdó, Pereira, Armenia, Cali and Manizales.

The International Organization for Migration warned that displacement and lost livelihoods increase trafficking risks. Criminal networks may target people in shelters with fake job offers or assistance scams, IOM said, urging survivors to use only official channels and never hand over identity documents. Protection teams are also setting up child-safe spaces, family tracing services and gender-based violence prevention in shelters.