COLOMBIA NEEDS YOUR HELP
On 10 August 2026, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, with its epicentre in San José del Palmar, Chocó. It is the most powerful seismic event recorded in the country this century.
There are 329 fatalities, more than 4,592 injured, and 234 missing. The emergency affects 494 municipalities in 16 departments, leaving more than 324,000 people affected and more than 31,500 homes destroyed.
Source: UNGRD — as of August 24, 2026, 6:30 a.m.
From the first hour, local YMCAs have been on the ground with their communities.
How the YMCA is responding in Colombia
YMCA Colombia verified the status of all 9 local YMCAs and activated three simultaneous fronts: communication, mental health, and humanitarian relief. Today its teams are still in the field across Risaralda, Quindío, and Cali, community by community.
The priorities of the local YMCAs are:
- Running collection centres and delivering tents, blankets, mattresses, water, food supplies, and medicines.
- Providing psychological first aid and free psychological care to anyone affected.
- Reaching and accompanying families in the communities where they work.
- Opening safe spaces for children while schools remain closed.
- Equipping and protecting the volunteers who sustain the operation.
Sustaining that support over the next 12 to 18 months. - To provide free psychosocial support through a partnership with Curesia Total Care—for staff, volunteers, families, and the community at large. Request here
And when the cameras leave, we stay
The emergency does not end when the coverage does. That is when the longest part begins: rebuilding what is emotional, what is spiritual, and the social fabric itself. Over the next 12 to 18 months, YMCA Risaralda, YMCA Quindío, and YMCA Cali will accompany their communities with psychological care, socioemotional support, safe spaces for children, and community rebuilding. The YMCA came alongside the Coffee Region after the 1999 earthquake and has been there ever since.
Note: Local YMCAs are carrying out an ongoing needs assessment. Priorities are adjusted according to what each community identifies in its own territory.
Two Weeks of Response — Tangible Results
- +700 people screened and provided with individualized support in the affected areas
- +12 metric tons of humanitarian aid distributed across more than 6 municipalities, including shipments to Pereira and northern Valle del Cauca
- 14 days of continuous operation—without a single day off, including Sundays and holidays
- 334 people individually assessed in Risaralda, with tailored follow-up based on their level of impact
- +140 young people from the “Paz a la Paz” program and their families supported in Cali
- Partnership with Curesia Total Care: 35 people received psychosocial care, 41 sessions conducted, 26+ active volunteers
Your contribution sustains the teams already on the ground and makes possible the support that comes after. The YMCA has walked alongside Colombia since 1964, reaching more than 65,000 people a year across 16 departments.
Your gift sustains collection centres, psychological care, and safe spaces for children over the next 12 to 18 months.
International bank transfer
Bank Details:
- Account holder: Alianza Latinoamericana y del Caribe de ACJ AC
- Bank: BBVA México, S.A.
- Address: Av. Ejército Nacional 253, 1er Piso, Mexico City, 11320, Mexico
- Account number: 0101079859
- CLABE: 012180001010798594
- SWIFT/BIC: BCMRMXMMPYM
- Currency: USD (US dollars)
- Branch: Av. Cuitláhuac 3331, Mexico City, 02840, Mexico
About the YMCA
Worldwide
The YMCA is present in 120 countries and reaches more than 65 million people every year. It is one of the oldest and largest youth movements in the world.
In Colombia
YMCA Colombia has walked alongside the country since 1964. It brings together 9 local YMCAs and reaches more than 65,000 people a year across 16 departments and 45 municipalities, through 95 programmes, with 960 volunteers and 445 staff members. Its work centres on children, young people, peacebuilding, and community development.
We believe no community rises alone. That is why we stay: as long as one family is still rebuilding its life, the YMCA is there.
