NEW YORK, 22nd August, 2026 (WAM)-- The United Nations and its humanitarian partners launched a second appeal for $148 million today to assist victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Colombia earlier this month.

The disaster has left 319 people dead, affected more than 280,000 individuals, and destroyed over 31,000 homes, alongside widespread damage to educational institutions, community centres, and healthcare facilities.

A UN spokesperson stated that the appeal-coordinated by the Humanitarian Country Team in Colombia to complement government relief efforts-targets around 671,000 of the most vulnerable people. The plan focuses on delivering vital aid across health, shelter, food, nutrition, education, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sectors.UN partners have so far delivered aid to over 34,000 people across 18 municipalities. However, hundreds of thousands of Colombian families continue to suffer from limited access to essential services, livelihoods, and infrastructure, compounded by ongoing armed conflict in affected regions.

The new call for funding comes on top of the UN's existing $472 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Colombia, bringing the total required humanitarian funding for the country this year to nearly $620 million.Donors have mobilised $35 million in response to the earthquake so far, while UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost immediate relief operations.Stressing the critical need for urgent funding, the UN warned that Colombia's overall humanitarian response plan remains less than half-funded, threatening partners' ability to meet the escalating needs of affected populations.