One month after Colombia earthquake, PAHO/WHO continues to support response and stabilization

The Organization is supporting Colombia's health authorities to maintain essential services, strengthen disease surveillance and address the evolving health needs of affected communities.

Bogotá, Colombia, 10 September 2026 (PAHO/WHO) - One month after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) continue working with Colombia's national and local health authorities to support the emergency response, recovery and stabilization, while maintaining essential health services and addressing emerging public health risks.

As of 4 September, 331 people had died, 4,519 were injured and 122 remained missing, while 466,606 people had been affected across 498 municipalities in 16 departments. Valle del Cauca and Risaralda account for 93.4% of the deaths confirmed by Colombia's National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences.

The earthquake also caused significant damage to health infrastructure. The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) reports 400 health facilities affected in 14 of the 16 impacted departments. With PAHO/WHO support, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has completed rapid assessments of 278 health facilities in 44 municipalities to determine their operational status, capacity and needs. Significant health needs remain.

"As we reach one month since the earthquake, PAHO/WHO continues to work closely with Colombia's national and local health authorities to ensure that the health needs of affected communities remain a priority," said Ana Rivière Cinnamond, PAHO/WHO Representative in Colombia. "Our focus now is on supporting the continuity and recovery of essential health services, strengthening disease surveillance and prevention, and addressing mental health and other public health risks as they emerge, particularly for populations most affected and at greatest risk."

The response also continues in temporary emergency shelters. Of the 112 shelters assessed, 79 remain active and accommodate 4,060 people, mainly in Risaralda, Buenaventura and Chocó.

Protecting health and maintaining essential services

Since the first day of the emergency, PAHO/WHO has worked alongside the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Health and departmental and district health authorities to maintain health services and reduce public health risks.

• Health facility assessments: Supporting rapid assessments of damaged facilities to identify operational constraints and inform recovery efforts.
• Public health surveillance: Supporting the National Institute of Health and local authorities to strengthen surveillance and monitor health risks in temporary shelters, including the early detection and investigation of outbreaks.
• Water, sanitation and hygiene: Supporting authorities in Chocó, Buenaventura and Cali to assess sanitary and environmental conditions in temporary shelters and improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
• Malaria and dengue prevention: Supporting integrated vector control, including diagnosis, active case-finding, distribution of bed nets, strengthened surveillance and community education.
• Immunization: Supporting authorities to maintain vaccination services, assess immunization needs and address damage to cold-chain infrastructure, including vaccination in shelters and other priority locations.
• Mental health and psychosocial support: Supporting psychological first aid training and strengthening mental health services for affected populations and emergency responders, particularly those facing greater vulnerabilities.
• Health Cluster coordination: Supporting coordination among health-sector partners to identify needs, strengthen the response and direct available resources to the most affected areas.

Sustaining the recovery

As the emergency response begins to transition to recovery, restoring health services and strengthening the resilience of affected communities will remain essential. PAHO/WHO will continue working with national and local authorities to assess damage, address gaps in health infrastructure and support the rehabilitation of services and replacement of critical equipment.

The Organization will also support continued monitoring of health risks in affected communities and temporary shelters, including those related to communicable diseases, water and sanitation, vector-borne diseases, immunization and mental health.

"The impacts of a disaster of this magnitude are multiple and long-lasting. It is essential that we continue to monitor the health situation and ensure that communities do not lose access to the services they need. PAHO/WHO will remain closely engaged with national and local authorities to support recovery and reach the populations most affected and at greatest risk," said Rivière Cinnamond.