Colombia will always be home to me.
Even though I live here in the United States, so much of my heart is still back home—with my family, my friends, the places that shaped me, and the people who make Colombia the beautiful country that it is. After everything that has happened, I’ve found myself searching for how to help Colombia after the earthquake and what those of us who are far away can actually do to make a difference.
Watching everything happening after the devastating earthquake has been incredibly difficult. When you have people you love there, something like this doesn’t feel like news happening somewhere far away. It feels personal.
Over the past few days, I’ve checked in with family and friends and watched the images coming out of Colombia. I’ve seen the devastation, but I’ve also seen something that makes me incredibly proud: Colombians helping Colombians. Neighbors showing up for one another, first responders working nonstop, volunteers stepping in wherever they’re needed, and people around the world asking what they can do to help.
I’ve been asking myself the same question.
What can I do from here?
I may be miles away, but I have this little corner of the internet, and right now I want to use it to help my country.
I’ve put together this resource with trusted organizations currently helping communities affected by the earthquake. My hope is that it makes it a little easier for anyone wondering how to help Colombia after the earthquake to find a safe place to donate or another way to show their support.
Whether you can donate $5, $10, more than that, or simply share this page with someone else, every little bit of support can make a difference.
What Is Happening in Colombia Right Now?
On August 10, 2026, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, causing widespread destruction across communities including Cali, Pereira and remote areas of Chocó.
The numbers are heartbreaking and continue to change as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Thousands of people have been injured, hundreds of lives have been lost, and thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed.
Entire families are now facing something most of us can’t imagine—losing their homes, their belongings, and, in far too many cases, people they love.
Some of the hardest-hit communities are also places where reaching families with food, clean water, medical care and other supplies can be challenging.
This isn’t something that will be fixed in a few days.
After the rescue operations end and the headlines begin to slow down, families will still need somewhere to live. Children will need to return to school. Businesses will need to reopen. Homes and communities will need to be rebuilt.
That’s why the support Colombia receives now—and in the months ahead—matters so much.
Trusted Organizations Helping Colombia After the Earthquake
One of the biggest things I wanted to do before publishing this post was make sure I wasn’t simply sharing random donation links.
Unfortunately, major disasters can also bring scams and questionable fundraisers. I’ve researched the organizations below and focused on established organizations that are currently responding to the earthquake or supporting affected communities.
Please still take a moment to review each organization and choose the one that feels right for you.
🇨🇴 Cruz Roja Colombiana
If you’re wondering how to donate to Colombia earthquake relief while supporting an organization based directly in Colombia, Cruz Roja Colombiana is one of the first places I would consider.
The Colombian Red Cross has teams working on the ground to help affected communities. Their work during emergencies can include medical care, access to safe water, rescue support, restoring family connections and helping communities meet immediate needs.
For me personally, having a Colombian organization on this list was important. These are people who know the communities, understand the needs on the ground and will continue to be there long after international attention begins to fade.
Donate or learn more:
Cruz Roja Colombiana
🍲 World Central Kitchen
Another organization many of you may already recognize is World Central Kitchen.
Food is one of those immediate needs that can easily be overlooked when we think about disaster response. Families who have lost their homes may have no kitchen, electricity or safe way to prepare a meal. First responders and volunteers also need food while working incredibly long hours.
For anyone looking for how to help Colombia after the earthquake, supporting organizations providing meals is one meaningful way to make a difference. World Central Kitchen works with local restaurants, cooks and partners to get meals to communities affected by disasters.
Donate or learn more:
World Central Kitchen – Colombia Earthquake Response
👧 UNICEF
As a mom, it’s impossible for me not to think about the children going through this.
Imagine being a child and suddenly having to leave your home, sleep somewhere unfamiliar, lose your school or be separated from people you know.
UNICEF is supporting children and families affected by the earthquake, particularly in Chocó and Buenaventura. Their response includes things families desperately need right now, including access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene support, along with protection and assistance for children.
If helping children affected by the Colombia earthquake is especially important to you, UNICEF is an organization worth considering.
Donate or learn more:
UNICEF – Help Children and Families in Colombia
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🩺 Direct Relief
Medical care becomes incredibly important following a disaster of this size.
For anyone looking for how to help Colombia after the earthquake, supporting emergency medical efforts is another meaningful option. Direct Relief is responding by supporting medical needs in Colombia, including helping fund emergency flights carrying blood, medical supplies, and healthcare teams into areas that are difficult to reach.
This is especially important in Chocó, where geography and existing infrastructure can make delivering emergency assistance much more complicated.
Donate or learn more:
Direct Relief – Colombia Earthquake Response
🏠 All Hands and Hearts
This is one organization I especially wanted to include because the help Colombia needs isn’t going to end with emergency relief.
All Hands and Hearts mobilized a disaster response team to Colombia shortly after the earthquake and has been working with local authorities and partners to assess needs and support search-and-rescue efforts.
Their broader disaster work also focuses on recovery and rebuilding communities.
There will eventually come a point when rescue becomes recovery—and recovery becomes rebuilding.
Homes, schools and community spaces will need help. That’s why organizations prepared to stay involved beyond those first few days are so important.
Donate or learn more:
All Hands and Hearts – Colombia Earthquake Relief
❤️ CARE
CARE is another established humanitarian organization responding to the crisis.
Its emergency work can help families access essentials such as shelter, food, clean water, hygiene supplies and other support during a disaster.
For families who suddenly find themselves without a home or many of the everyday necessities we take for granted, that type of assistance can make an enormous difference.
Donate or learn more:
CARE – Colombia Earthquake Relief
🧒 Save the Children
Save the Children is another option for anyone who especially wants their donation to support children and families.
Children experience disasters very differently from adults. Beyond immediate needs like food, shelter and clean water, they also need protection, stability and emotional support while everything around them feels uncertain.
Save the Children has teams responding to urgent needs following the earthquake and supporting affected families.
Donate or learn more:
Save the Children – Colombia
🍎 ABACO – Asociación de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia
I also wanted to include another organization that is actually Colombian.
ABACO is the network of food banks in Colombia. During an emergency, food banks can play an important role in getting food and essential products to families who need them most.
For anyone who would prefer to support a local organization with existing connections throughout Colombia, this is another option worth looking into.
Donate or learn more:
ABACO Colombia
You Don’t Have to Donate a Lot to Help
I really want to say this because I know times are difficult for many families here in the United States too.
Please don’t look at this and think that a small donation isn’t enough.
It is.
If thousands of people give $5, those $5 donations become something much bigger.
If donating isn’t possible right now, sharing verified information helps too. Send this post to a friend. Share one of these organizations on Facebook. Add a donation link to your Instagram Stories. Talk about what’s happening in Colombia.
Sometimes helping simply means making sure the people who can donate know where to go.
Should I Send Clothes, Food or Other Supplies to Colombia?
This was one of the questions I had myself. When I started looking into how to help Colombia after the earthquake, my first thought was about the basic things families might need right away.
Our first instinct when we see families who have lost everything is often to start collecting clothes, bottled water, canned food, blankets and other supplies.
But unless you’re working with a verified organization that has specifically requested those items and has a system for getting them into the affected areas, donating money is usually more helpful.
Shipping, customs, transportation and sorting donated goods can make getting those supplies to families much more complicated than we realize.
Organizations already working in Colombia can use financial donations to purchase what communities actually need, often closer to the affected areas.
If you have family or trusted community organizations collecting specific items locally in Colombia, that’s different. Just make sure you know who is organizing the collection and where the donations are going.
Please Be Careful With Donation Scams
Sadly, this needs to be said too.
Whenever a major tragedy happens, fraudulent donation pages, fake social media accounts and questionable crowdfunding campaigns can appear very quickly.
Before donating, take an extra minute to check where your money is going.
I would personally avoid sending money to an unfamiliar account simply because a post is being shared widely on social media. Look for an organization’s official website, check the spelling of the URL and be cautious with messages pressuring you to donate immediately through an unfamiliar payment method.
That doesn’t mean individual fundraisers aren’t legitimate. Many families will absolutely need direct help.
If it’s someone you personally know or a fundraiser you can verify through friends or family in Colombia, that’s a different situation. The important thing is simply to check before sending money.
Helping Colombia From the United States
One of the hardest parts of being Colombian and living abroad during something like this is feeling so far away.
You want to be there.
You want to help.
And sometimes sitting here watching everything unfold on a screen makes you feel completely helpless.
But being far away doesn’t mean we can’t do something. If you’re also wondering how to help Colombia after the earthquake from the United States or another country, there are still so many meaningful ways to show your support.
Those of us living outside Colombia can donate. We can support Colombian organizations. We can share reliable information. We can help family members directly when we’re able. We can encourage our workplaces, schools, churches and community organizations to support relief efforts.
And most importantly, we can keep talking about Colombia after the news cycle moves on.
Because rebuilding will take much longer than a few days. ❤️🇨🇴
Colombia Will Need Us for the Long Road Ahead
Right now, the focus is understandably on rescue, food, water, shelter and medical care.
But eventually cameras will leave.
That’s when another difficult chapter begins.
Families will need to rebuild homes. Children will need schools. Small businesses that families depend on will need to reopen. Communities will need infrastructure repaired. And people who have experienced unimaginable loss will need time and support to begin putting their lives back together.
I plan to keep this page updated as I find additional verified ways to support recovery and rebuilding in Colombia.
If you know of a legitimate Colombian organization doing important work in one of the affected communities, please feel free to share it with me. I would love to learn more about what they’re doing and, after verifying the information, potentially add them here.
A Little Message From My Heart
Writing this post feels different from anything else I normally share here.
For The Love To has always been a place where I share pieces of our family life—the places we visit, things we discover, things that make parenting a little easier and moments that simply bring us joy.
Today, I want this space to do something else.
I want it to help home.
To my family and friends in Colombia: I love you.
To every family who has lost someone, my heart is with you.
To the first responders, healthcare workers, volunteers, neighbors and strangers helping one another: thank you.
And to everyone reading this from the United States or anywhere else in the world, thank you for caring about my country.
Donate if you can.
Share if you can.
Keep Colombia in your thoughts.
And please don’t forget about the families who will still need our help weeks and months from now.
Colombia, estamos lejos, pero nuestro corazón está con ustedes. 🇨🇴❤️
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