Colombia earthquake raises child recruitment risk as 3,800 schools damaged

COLOMBIA, CHOCÓ, VALLE DEL CAUCA, RISARALDA, CALDAS, SIPÍ, CHARCO HONDO, 29 AUGUST 2026 —

Risks of child recruitment by armed groups rise in post-quake Colombia, UN warns

The disaster damaged more than 3,800 educational facilities, disrupting the education of over one million students. Nearly 178,000 children attend schools that suffered serious structural damage, according to UN data. María José Torres Macho, UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, highlighted that recruitment by illegal armed groups was already a concern in these areas before the quake.

“We are concerned that the situation of children out of school can exacerbate this problem,” she told reporters at UN Headquarters. “Those areas most affected are those areas most vulnerable.”

The earthquake left 331 people dead, 4,449 injured, and 219 missing, while more than 406,000 people across 15 departments and 496 municipalities were affected. Many of the hardest-hit regions, including Chocó, were already grappling with high poverty, isolation, and armed violence.

In Chocó, rural schools were either completely destroyed or partially collapsed, with several at imminent risk of further damage. Assessments are ongoing in Risaralda and Caldas to determine which schools can safely reopen. The UN emphasized that restoring access to education is critical not only for learning continuity but also to protect children from recruitment and exploitation.

Damage to roads, river transport disruptions, and electricity and connectivity issues have severely hampered both assessments and aid delivery, particularly in remote Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities. In Sipí, Chocó, around 95 Afro-Colombian people were displaced from Charco Hondo, raising concerns of further displacement in neighboring communities.

Local authorities and Indigenous and Afro-Colombian organizations have played a role as first responders in isolated areas, but many municipalities face limited capacity and are overwhelmed by the scale of the emergency. Since Aug 10, the UN and humanitarian partners have reached approximately 72,000 people in 36 municipalities across Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, and Caldas with food, water, medical care, shelter, psychosocial support, protection, and education services.

The UN has updated its humanitarian response plan, estimating that 1.2 million people require assistance, including 127,000 identified as severely affected and in need of priority support. The response requires $148.1 million, but only 40% has been received to date. Key needs include shelter, medical care, safe water, education, and livelihood restoration.

Supply shortages are already emerging. In Caldas, food and hygiene distributions have relied partly on donations, but stocks are depleting, and capacity to sustain further assistance remains insufficient. Among temporary shelters assessed in Chocó, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Caldas, 33% lack adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, 31% face water access issues, and 22% require food support.

Torres Macho stressed the urgency of transitioning from emergency response to recovery and reconstruction, particularly in communities already vulnerable before the earthquake. “It is very important to also provide support to the municipalities, so there is some urban planning and we don’t reproduce vulnerability and end up creating another disaster,” she said.

The disaster has compounded existing challenges in a region where conflict-related displacement continues alongside earthquake recovery efforts. As assessments progress, the UN and partners are working to address immediate humanitarian needs while laying the groundwork for long-term resilience in some of Colombia’s most marginalized communities.

Related: María José Torres Macho