CHOCO — A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026, with its epicenter in the Choco region. At least 312 people were killed by the August 10, 2026 earthquake, according to figures published by the central government.

The August 10, 2026 earthquake destroyed 29,000 homes in the region. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 69,000 people in Choco were affected or displaced by the earthquake.

The 69,000 people affected or displaced in Choco represent approximately 10% of the region's population. Choco has a population of approximately 600,000 inhabitants, and the majority of Choco's population is Afro-Colombian or Indigenous.

Only two roads connect the Choco region to the rest of Colombia. There are no roads linking communities along the more than 650 kilometers of Choco's Pacific coastline to the interior.

Luis Mora is the United Nations Population Fund's representative in Colombia. "We are facing a triple crisis," Mora said.

"You have the humanitarian crisis caused by the earthquake, now joining the under development crisis and the crisis caused by armed conflict in this territory," Mora said. The United Nations Population Fund has been supplying kits with personal hygiene products to women affected by the earthquake in Choco.

The United Nations Population Fund is working to create safe spaces for women within shelters in Choco. Cristian Maturana is a doctor at Quibdo’s only public hospital.

The emergency room at Quibdo’s public hospital overflowed with patients with broken bones and other injuries after the earthquake. Thirty-six patients with multiple fractures were flown from Quibdo to a hospital in Medellin, Antioquia, because the local hospital lacked sufficient personnel and equipment.

The only refrigerator capable of storing blood donations at Quibdo’s public hospital was damaged by a power surge following the earthquake. The damaged blood storage refrigerator at Quibdo’s public hospital was replaced over the weekend with a unit donated by a group of oncologists in Bogota.

"These have been tough days," Maturana said. "These seem like basic things."

"But they are items we have long had shortages of," he said. The emergency room at Quibdo’s public hospital is currently operating at twice its capacity, with patients being treated in chairs or on stretchers in the hallways.

Camilo Prieto is a doctor with the Colombian Environmental Movement, a humanitarian group. The Colombian Environmental Movement brought in more than 2 tons of medical supplies, including electrocardiogram and ultrasound machines, to Choco last week.

The Colombian Environmental Movement flew some aid to remote towns in Choco using helicopters and small planes. "By land it would be very difficult," Prieto said.

"But some companies and owners of private planes have given us flight hours," he said. Wiston Mosquera is the Roman Catholic bishop of the Quibdo diocese.

Wiston Mosquera was born and raised in Choco. "We are decades behind the rest of Colombia’s regions," Mosquera said.

President Abelardo de la Espriella promised a recovery plan for Choco that will include billions of dollars in infrastructure investment and programs to generate jobs. Choco’s unemployment rate was the highest in Colombia last year, according to DANE, the nation’s statistics agency.

President Abelardo de la Espriella stated he will designate a government official to oversee Choco’s recovery. President Abelardo de la Espriella stated he will provide subsidies to families left homeless by the earthquake so they can rent new homes.

"The house is completely destroyed," Arias said. Ismael Arias spent around $32,000 building his home, taking out loans from banks.

"Even if I am helped, I don’t think I will get enough," he said. "It's not the same."

Why It Matters

The earthquake has exacerbated existing crises of underdevelopment and armed conflict in the region. The region lacks basic infrastructure and has long suffered from shortages, making recovery difficult.

Victims face uncertainty about adequate aid and loss of autonomy in shelters. The discrepancy between the central government's death toll of 312 and the President's figure of 265 remains unresolved, as does the status of the nearly 500 people reported missing.

Timeline

Choco’s GDP per capita was 14.3 million Colombian pesos (about $3,500) in 2025.

Choco’s 2025 GDP per capita was approximately one quarter of Bogota’s per capita income. A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has visited Choco twice since the August 10, 2026 earthquake. The epicenter of the August 10, 2026 earthquake was in the Choco region.

What's New

Global Citizen and Live Nation have each committed USD 500,000 to support the educational recovery efforts in Choco. The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund contributed USD 500,000 to assist in rebuilding classroom infrastructure in Choco.

The CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean pledged USD 250,000 to assist in rebuilding classroom infrastructure in Choco. Quibdo is capital of the Colombian department of Chocó.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the president abelardo espriella earthquake, apnews.com reported that the Colombian President Abelardo de la he said that at least 265 people died in the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s west on Monday, and that nearly 500 people were reported missing. The Colombian presidential office statement noted that President Abelardo de la he stated he will provide subsidies to families left homeless by the earthquake so they can rent new homes.