PRAYER NEED
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Western Colombia
World Central Kitchen (CC BY 4.0)
What happened
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on 10 August 2026, with its epicentre in Chocó department. More than three hundred people were killed, thousands were injured, and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on 10 August 2026. Its epicentre was near San José del Palmar in Chocó department, and it was felt across the central and western regions of the country.
The cities of Cali and Pereira were among the worst affected. Buildings collapsed, and search and rescue teams worked for days to reach people trapped in the rubble. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports impacts across 15 departments and 472 municipalities.
Many families have lost their homes entirely, and hundreds of people are still recorded as missing.
People affected
- People affected
- 314,700
- Lives lost
- 329
- Injured
- 4,613
- Missing
- 247
- Homes damaged
- 171,273
Current situation
The response continues across Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, Chocó and Caldas, where the most pressing needs are health care, temporary shelter, clean water and sanitation, food, power and communications. More than 31,000 homes were destroyed and a further 171,000 damaged, along with hundreds of health centres and thousands of schools. The UN released emergency funding, the Pan American Health Organization deployed medical personnel and supplies, and the World Food Programme is seeking funding to feed 100,000 people over three months.
Pray for
- For families waiting for news of someone still missing
- For those who lost family members, and for communities burying their dead
- For the injured, and for hospital staff caring for them
- For tens of thousands who have lost their homes
- For rescue and aid teams reaching communities that are still hard to access
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