Published on: 2026-08-14
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The UN has deployed teams of specialists and resources to support the rescue operation and provide first aid to the victims.
“An incredibly tense moment”
When the building where Víctor Manuel Rodríguez lives started shaking, he thought he might be experiencing the last moments of his life. The windowpanes shattered into pieces. Looking outside, he saw neighboring buildings beginning to collapse. He grabbed his dog and ran down the stairs.
“It was an incredibly tense moment,” Viktor recalls. “It was very hard for all of us to realize that this day could be our last.”
Viktor spent several hours outside while specialists inspected the condition of the building. When he was finally allowed to return home, he tidied up the apartment and started gathering everything that could be useful in an emergency: a flashlight, gloves, whistles, and some of the camping gear he usually takes with him on hiking trips.
Then he went back outside, but this time to help others.
Victor went to the Capri area in southern Cali, where several buildings had collapsed. This area was well known to him: nearby was the residential complex where he grew up. In addition, he believed that one of his friends might still be trapped under the rubble.
“We are waiting and hoping that she is alive,” he said.
An incomplete picture of the tragedy
Cali, the third largest city in Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, is located in the center of the region most severely affected on August 10 by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
According to official data collected by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of the second half of August 12, the department recorded 132 deaths, 238 missing persons, and over 2,500 injured. Across the region, about 36,000 people have been affected to varying degrees by the disaster.
However, these figures reflect only part of the overall picture. Children await news about their parents; neighbors ask each other about the fate of relatives and acquaintances; families hope hour by hour to receive any information at all about those still listed as missing.
For most of the day on Monday and until early Tuesday morning, Viktor stayed alongside the rescuers and volunteers. Sometimes the rescue teams asked for silence, and everyone would freeze, listening for any sound coming from beneath the rubble of broken concrete. When signs of life were found, hope returned to those waiting nearby.
Viktor Manuel Rodriguez, a resident of the city of Cali, went to help rescuers on the first day of the earthquake.
Viktor recalls that he arrived shortly after a person was pulled alive from under the rubble. Then he witnessed the rescue of two more. Later, the bodies of three victims were found. At the moment he returned home, he learned that the rescuers had managed to save one more life.
“It breaks your heart when you see bodies of the deceased being pulled from the rubble,” says Viktor, “but when someone is saved alive, there is an incredible surge of strength and an all-encompassing feeling of human solidarity.”
According to him, these watches changed his perspective on the people around him.
“I began to understand that the world is not limited to just my own family,” says Viktor. “At these moments, it’s about everyone around: the neighbor, an acquaintance, the man living on the corner of the street, the elderly person who can barely walk.”
The city that came to help
Jose Daniel Hernandez joined the rescue operations and debris clearing on the very first day. When he went outside again the next morning, he saw dozens of people doing the same: some were bringing necessary items for the victims, others were waiting for a chance to offer any kind of help near the damaged buildings, and still others were asking rescuers how they could be of assistance.
Jose spent several hours moving around the city trying to find a place where his help was needed. When there were already enough volunteers at the rescue sites, he switched to other tasks: delivering fuel for equipment operation at night, batteries, flashlights, and cutting tools.
“I prefer to be here and help however I can, rather than just sit and wait without any use,” he says.
Jamie Selemin observed the mobilization of local residents’ efforts throughout the city. What struck her most was that people from all walks of life were doing the same thing: buying water and food with their own money, bringing helmets, protective glasses, gloves, and shovels to rescue sites, or spending long hours at aid collection points. They sorted donations, helped affected families, and those who continued working amidst the rubble.
At that time, there was a strong heat in Cali: the air temperature was approaching 35 degrees Celsius. According to Jamie, under such conditions, delivering water and food to firefighters, rescuers, and volunteers became almost as important a task as gathering everything necessary.
Interrupted Festival
One of the rooms repurposed after the earthquake to collect humanitarian aid was originally prepared to host one of Cali’s most important cultural events. Every August, the Petronio Álvarez Festival brings together music, cuisine, crafts, and traditions of Colombia’s Pacific region, which is closely tied to the city’s identity.
The festival opened on Sunday and was supposed to last a whole week, but the earthquake that occurred on Monday stopped the celebrations. The festival grounds, as well as venues intended for musicians, traditional cuisine artisans, and visitors, are now being used to sort aid for the affected settlements.
© J. Selemin Queue of people wishing to donate essential items to earthquake victims.
At some humanitarian aid collection points in Cali, people were gradually asked to stop bringing certain types of items and to redirect assistance to where it was needed more.
“I feel a little calmer knowing that there are people who support and help,” Jamie said. “Mutual assistance has become the most important thing for me in this tragedy. We must also acknowledge the work of the firefighters. There aren’t many of them, but they give their all. And now, with rescue teams arriving from other regions, I hope that those still trapped under the debris can be pulled out alive.”
“How can I help?”
While rescue teams continue searching for survivors, the scale of the emergency is becoming increasingly severe. Thousands of families have lost their homes or faced their houses being destroyed or seriously damaged. These people now need temporary shelter, medical assistance, safe drinking water, food, and psychological support.
In the Valle del Cauca department, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has identified medical and psychosocial assistance, provision of safe water, and child protection as key priorities.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher announced the allocation of five million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support priority actions.
Amid the ongoing search for survivors, the UN is already contemplating the next stage. According to the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia, María José Torres Macho, recovery should not be limited to restoring what was lost.
“This should become an opportunity to realize the principle of ‘do better than before’,” she says.
According to Torres Macho, crises test the resilience of societies but at the same time demonstrate the ability to unite and move forward. In Cali, this unity was evident from the first day: it was a city full of people who repeatedly asked, “How can I help?”
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.