Colombia - Meeting Minutes, Earthquake Response, Bogotá, August 11, 2026

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1. GENERAL SITUATION UPDATE

• A preliminary update on the earthquake emergency was presented. Official information available at the time of the meeting reported 176 fatalities and 2,509 injuries.
• The departments with the highest reported damage were Valle del Cauca, Chocó, Risaralda, and Caldas, with more than 3,000 buildings damaged.
• National agencies have deployed search and rescue teams, and shelters have been set up in several cities to assist the affected population.

Source: National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), OCHA.

2. LOGISTICAL UPDATES

   Air Access:

• The airports in Cali and Quibdó were operating normally, while Manizales, Pereira, Armenia, Cartago, and Buenaventura maintained restricted operations for medical and government flights.
  • Cali was identified as the main entry point for the humanitarian response, and Quibdó as a key hub for operations in Chocó.
  • The most critical situation is in Buenaventura, due to airport restrictions and the closure of the Cali-Buenaventura highway, posing risks to the movement of aid and supplies.
  • The rest of the national airport network was reported to be operational.

Source: Colombian Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil)

   Land Access:

• Multiple affected points were reported along strategic corridors in Quindío, Caldas, Valle del Cauca, and Risaralda.
• The “La Línea” corridor was inspected and reported as open (the main logistics corridor between the central and western parts of the country).
• The Medellín–Quibdó route is open.
• A total closure of the Cali–Buenaventura highway was reported.
• Road connectivity to Chocó varies depending on the corridor (the Pereira–Quibdó road is open only to small vehicles).
• A closure of the Manizales–Fresno road was reported due to a landslide.
• The partners highlighted the need for up-to-date traffic information to support logistics planning.

Sources: INVIAS, National Infrastructure Agency (ANI)

  Other relevant access points:

• All of the country’s border crossings were reported to be open.
• The rail network has not experienced any significant disruptions.
• The port of Buenaventura remains under review and is subject to land access restrictions.
   

3. PRIORITY HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

• At this time, the main humanitarian needs identified focus on temporary shelter, food security, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and health care, including psychosocial support for the affected population (Source: OCHA).
• In the health sector, preliminary reports indicate that health facilities in several affected departments have been impacted. PAHO/WHO noted that assessments were still ongoing and that the available information still required validation before final estimates of damage and needs could be consolidated.
• Various humanitarian partners reported the deployment of rapid assessment teams on the ground, particularly in Cali, Pereira, Chocó, and other affected areas. These assessments are currently underway; therefore, the sectors mentioned by the organizations (health, WASH, shelter, food security, and protection) should be considered areas under assessment, not confirmed needs in addition to those already reported by official mechanisms.
• Partners emphasized the importance of continuing to share information on needs assessments and sectoral impacts to avoid duplication and facilitate a complementary response among organizations.

  4. LOGISTICS SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR THE RESPONSE

  4.1 Storage and Transportation Services

• WFP received confirmation that the logistics services available under the current project with OCHA can be used to support any loading related to the emergency response, not just loading funded by that specific mechanism.
• The immediate availability of storage services in Cali, Barranquilla, Medellín, Cúcuta, Bogotá, Quibdó, Riohacha, and Montería was confirmed, as well as land, river, and sea transport services from those locations to different parts of the country. It was clarified that standard coverage is between urban centers and that requests for more specific locations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• It was reiterated that these services are available at no cost to the humanitarian community, subject to the signing of the service level agreement (SLA) used by WFP for this type of operation.
• WFP indicated that it has mobile emergency warehouses (400 m²) that could be temporarily deployed in areas where partners identify storage gaps for the humanitarian response. It was noted that these facilities could be used as shared capacity for the humanitarian community. WFP invited partners to propose locations where this capacity might be needed.

  4.2 Logistics Infrastructure Monitoring Platform

• WFP confirmed that the Logistics Cluster’s LogIE platform has been activated to monitor affected logistics infrastructure. The tool will enable the consolidation of information on roads, airports, ports, warehouses, and other elements critical to the response.
• It was emphasized that the platform operates on a collaborative basis and that its usefulness will depend on reports from partner organizations. Partners were invited to contribute operational information gathered on the ground or through their own monitoring mechanisms.

  5. JOINT PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLIERS

• Hulo reported that a joint procurement mechanism developed under the project funded by the OCHA Humanitarian Fund is now available. This tool provides the humanitarian community with a catalog of approximately 170 items in the WASH, emergency shelter, and food assistance sectors, through suppliers who have been previously identified and notified to respond to requirements arising from the emergency.
• Hulo reported that, through the ELSAH platform, a preliminary mapping of suppliers in the main affected areas was conducted. During the meeting, it was reported that approximately 57 suppliers had been identified in Valle del Cauca and 28 in Chocó, in addition to suppliers located in the Coffee Triangle region.
• The identified suppliers offer services and supplies relevant to the humanitarian response, including WASH items, food, land, sea, and river transportation, temporary shelter, construction materials, personal protective equipment, water filters, hygiene supplies, and other humanitarian aid goods.
• Humanitarian organizations were invited to use and supplement the information available on the ELSAH platform, as well as to share additional references for suppliers that could strengthen response capacity in the affected areas.
   

6. IMPORTS AND CUSTOMS

   6.1 Customs Situation and Humanitarian Imports

• At the time of the meeting, no extraordinary customs facilitation procedures had been activated for the emergency; therefore, the standard import procedures in effect in Colombia continued to apply.
• Several organisations expressed interest in receiving guidance on the requirements for importing medicines, medical supplies, humanitarian goods, and other international donations intended for the response.
• It was noted that monitoring of potential facilitation measures would continue in coordination with the relevant national authorities, and that any updates would be shared through the group’s coordination channels.

  6.2 IMPACCT Support and Coordination with Authorities

• IMPACCT reported the activation of emergency support mechanisms and confirmed that direct communication channels had already been established with the DIAN to collect and disseminate up-to-date information on import procedures and customs requirements.
• The creation of a dedicated forum for interchange among organizations interested in import and customs issues was announced, with the aim of consolidating consultations, sharing operational information, and supporting potential joint advocacy efforts with the authorities.
• IMPACCT also reported that CAPRADE is working with Colombian authorities to assess needs for potential international donations and that new opportunities for regional coordination on this issue are anticipated.
• The importance of discouraging the shipment of unsolicited goods was also emphasized, as this type of donation can cause congestion at points of entry and increase the operational burden on response logistics and customs mechanisms.
   

7. UPDATE FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS

   7.1 Ongoing Deployments and Assessments

• Various organizations reported the deployment of teams to affected areas, including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and other priority locations, with the aim of conducting rapid needs assessments and defining potential intervention strategies. Organizations reporting assessment or deployment activities include Americares, Project HOPE, Plan Foundation, HEKS/EPER, MedGlobal, IOM, UNHCR, and Operation Blessing, among others.
• The assessments and preliminary plans reported by partners focus primarily on the sectors of health, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), food security, emergency shelter, and protection. However, in most cases, the organizations indicated that final operational decisions will depend on the results of the assessments and the availability of resources.
• Several organizations expressed interest in utilizing the storage, transportation, and logistical support services offered by WFP to mobilize humanitarian supplies to the affected areas.

  7.2 Coordination of the Response

• Partners emphasized the importance of sharing operational information, assessments, and response plans through existing coordination mechanisms—including local humanitarian coordination forums—to avoid duplication and promote complementarity among organizations. This point was specifically highlighted by IOM.
• The need to maintain active channels for information exchange was also emphasized, particularly through the GTL WhatsApp group and future coordination forums that may be convened depending on how the emergency evolves.
• At the close of the meeting, the importance of continuing to assess the situation’s evolution was noted, as well as the need to determine—together with stakeholders in the country—the necessity and frequency of future coordination meetings, based on the gaps and needs identified during the response.

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