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TLDR: The fastest way to help Colombia earthquake victims is a cash donation to a verified organization already on the ground such as the Cruz Roja Colombiana inside Colombia, or Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen, or UNICEF USA for tax-deductible giving from the U.S. Region-by-region options for Chocó, Cali, Pereira, and Manizales are below.

On August 10, 2026, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia. The epicenter was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department, and the quake was felt across the country and into neighboring countries of Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela. As of this post, news reports put the death toll at more than 250 people, with over 1,300 injured and thousands still missing as rescuers race to find survivors. Colombia’s government has declared a state of emergency.

The hardest hit areas are Chocó, Cali, Pereira, and the Eje Cafetero region including Manizales. UNICEF estimates more than 8,300 homes have been damaged, over 1,100 destroyed, and nearly 800 schools affected. Numbers are still changing (please check the news sources at the bottom of this post for the latest).

If you’re wondering how to actually help? This blog post offers verified, reputable earthquake relief organizations working on the ground right now region by region, whether you’re giving from inside Colombia or from the United States.

Before you give: three quick rules

Give money, not stuff, if you’re far away. Cash lets organizations buy exactly what’s needed, locally, without clogging supply routes. In-kind donations (food, mattresses, hygiene kits) are most useful if you’re in Colombia and can drop them at an official collection center.

Use official channels only. Colombian authorities and the Red Cross have explicitly warned against transferring money to bank accounts circulating on social media that can’t be verified. Every link in this post goes to an organization’s own official donation page.

Verify before you donate. For U.S. charities, you can check any organization on Charity Navigator or BBB’s Give.org in about 30 seconds to verify the organization.

How to help in Chocó — the epicenter

Chocó is one of Colombia’s most underserved regions with a large indigenous and Afro-Colombian population, and it took the most direct hit. Aid access is difficult as many communities are reachable only by river or air.

• UNICEF is mobilizing water, sanitation, and hygiene response in Chocó and Buenaventura to reduce public health risks. U.S. donors can give through UNICEF USA.
• Direct Relief made an emergency grant to the Patrulla Aérea Civil Colombiana, which flies humanitarian air transport into hard-to-reach areas like Chocó. It is also staging wound-care, surgical, and antibiotic supplies. 100% of donations to its Colombia Earthquake Response Fund go to relief.
• The International Rescue Committee is assessing damaged hospitals and clinics in the Chocó region.
• ABACO, Colombia’s national association of food banks, has activated a humanitarian corridor for Chocó. Its network of food banks reached more than 1.6 million people last year.
• Manos Visibles is sending medical professionals, supplies, and blood to the area to help.

How to help in Cali (Valle del Cauca)

Cali saw building damage and multiple landslides. Family of ours had to leave their homes due to damage and relocate. If you’re in the city, hospitals have issued urgent calls for blood donors.

• Americares has deployed staff to Cali to assess health needs and is delivering clean water, hygiene kits, and relief supplies. They’ve worked in Colombia for 30 years with a locally staffed office.
• Official collection points in Cali: Plazoleta Jairo Varela and the Banco de Alimentos de Cali (Calle 24 #6-103). Most-needed items: bottled water, non-perishable food, construction gloves, helmets, safety glasses, mattresses, and first aid supplies.
• Blood donation (daily, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.): Hospital Universitario del Valle (Calle 5 #36-08), Hemolife (Calle 38N #3N-21), Cruz Roja Valle (Carrera 38 bis #5B), Fundación Valle del Lili (Torre 2, piso 4), and Clínica Imbanaco.

How to help in Pereira (Risaralda)

Pereira, roughly 35 miles from the epicenter, has reported collapsed buildings and one of the highest casualty counts outside Chocó. Rescue crews are still working multiple collapse sites.

• All Hands & Hearts has mobilized directly in Pereira, supplying local firefighters with concrete saws and shovels for rescue operations at collapsed buildings. It is also providing emergency supplies to first responders and displaced families, and accepts volunteers for the recovery phase.
• Convoy of Hope is distributing non-perishable food, clean drinking water, and mattresses to displaced families in the Pereira–Cali corridor.
• Official collection points in Pereira: seven neighborhood sites including Café Consota, Perla del Otún, El Remanso, Kennedy, Ormanza, San Nicolás, and Comuna del Café.
• Missing persons line for Pereira: +57 316 478 1821.

How to help in Manizales (Caldas)

• World Central Kitchen was one of the first organizations ready to help victims was on the ground immediately. Their teams have been working non-stop in the affected areas to provide meals. Donate at wck.org/donate.
• Blood donation in Manizales: Bomberos Palogrande and the Hemocentro del Café. Type O+ and O− donors are especially needed.
• The Cruz Roja Colombiana (Colombian Red Cross) has been working hard for emergency rescue, medical relief, and family reunification across the country. (see more how to donate below)

National organizations in Colombia

• Cruz Roja Colombiana: The Colombian Red Cross is accepting donations through its official emergency site linked here. They also urgently need blood donors across the country which you can find your closest donation center at cruzrojacolombiana.org/dona-sangre/
• Banco de Alimentos de Bogotá: food and daily essentials are needed to distribute to those affected. Rappi users can donate through the Turbo section on the app.
• Fundación PLAN Colombia: They are accepting donations through its portal to provide temporary shelter, food, water, child protection, and psychological support.
• Off-The-Grid Missions: according to them, they are the world’s only disaster relief organization dedicated to providing resources to deaf and hard-of-hearing. They are currently supporting local Colombian deaf groups to provide support.
• Colombia Giving: the national government’s official campaign coordinating donations and collection centers in cities across the country, including Bogotá, Medellín, and Barranquilla.
• CreatiVrole Project: An organization that helps creative communities between Cuba and Colombia, they have mobilized earthquake recovery in and around San José del Palmar, Quibdó, Condoto, Santa Rita de Iró, Buenaventura, Juanchaco, and the wider Pacific corridor.

Regarding bank transfers: Unfortunately, there will always be people trying to take advantage of kindness during times like these. Because of this, I am only linking direct organization donation pages. Please only donate through verified sites and channels.

How to donate from the United States

If you are in the U.S., the organizations below are registered U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits, so donations are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers, and all have teams or established partners working on this response right now.

• Direct Relief: offering medicine and medical supplies. 100% of the donations are being given to relief efforts.
• Americares: They have workers on the ground in Cali providing medicine and supplies.
• UNICEF USA: Probably one of the most recognized, they are working hard to provide clean and safe water, hygiene, and child protection especially in Chocó and Buenaventura.
• World Central Kitchen: They were one of the first on the ground providing meals to those affected across the region.
• All Hands & Hearts: They are offering rescue and plains to aid in rebuilding Pereira, if you are in the area they also accept volunteers.
• GlobalGiving’s Colombia Earthquake Relief Fund: They take donations to redistribute throughout verified Colombian organizations in Chocó, Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Caldas. A good option if you want your money going to grassroots local groups.

Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, Catholic Relief Services, CARE, and Mercy Corps, all long-established U.S. nonprofits, are also active in the response.

And wherever you are, share only verified links. Misinformation and fake donation accounts are already circulating, and amplifying official channels is a real contribution.

Colombia earthquake relief FAQ

Is my donation tax-deductible in the U.S.?

Yes, if you give to a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Every U.S. organization listed in this blog post qualifies and should provide a donation receipt for you to use come tax season. However, it has been brought to my attention that usually donations made directly to Colombian organizations generally are not U.S. tax-deductible; if that matters to you, give through a U.S. intermediary like GlobalGiving or UNICEF USA.

How do I avoid earthquake donation scams?

Donate only through a verified organization’s direct website, never to a personal bank account or payment handles shared on social media. Check U.S. charities on Charity Navigator or Give.org before giving, and be suspicious of urgency tactics, crowdfunding pages from strangers, and unsolicited donation requests by text or DM.

What supplies are most needed?

Collection centers in Colombia are asking for bottled water, non-perishable food, hygiene products, first aid supplies, mattresses, baby items (diapers, wipes, clothing, food), and blankets as well as construction gloves, helmets, and safety glasses for rescue crews. Please drop items only at official collection points like those listed above. From outside Colombia, cash is far more useful than shipped goods to give aid faster.

Sources and latest news

All data and details in this post come from reporting current as of August 12, 2026, and will change. For the latest: CBS News, CNN’s live coverage, Al Jazeera, UN News, Colombia One, and in Spanish, El Tiempo’s guide to official aid channels and Infobae’s city-by-city collection center guide. Al Jazeera also has a photo gallery from the affected areas.