On August 10, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, severely affecting communities across Chocó, Valle del Cauca and surrounding regions. People urgently need medical care, clean water, food, shelter and longer-term reconstruction. Animals have also been injured, displaced or separated from their families, while several animal shelters have reportedly been damaged or rendered unsafe.
For those interested in contributing, I have collected several institutional and locally led options.
Established humanitarian organizations
Cruz Roja Colombiana — conducting search and rescue, emergency medical assistance and distribution of essential supplies.
UNICEF Colombia — supporting children and families with water, sanitation, healthcare, protection and temporary education.
Direct Relief — providing requested medicines, medical supplies and grants to Colombian health organizations. Direct Relief states that 100% of donations designated for this fund will support the response to the Colombia earthquake.
Animal relief
Una Garra por Colombia is a targeted fundraiser organized with Colombian animal-welfare groups and advocates. Donations are intended to support emergency veterinary care, food and temporary shelter, repairs to damaged refuges, and efforts to reunite missing animals with their families.
I have also been supporting Anthía López, known online as La Mijita. She is a Spanish creator and community activist who has lived in Colombia for several years and is working directly with affected communities around Cali and Chocó.
Her public updates show her purchasing and distributing supplies. Reporting by El Progreso also describes her travel to Cali and purchases of rescue tools, ropes, tents, and bedding for people affected by the earthquake.
Direct giving to someone on the ground may enable faster, more flexible purchasing and help address needs that larger organizations overlook. However, it is important to be transparent about the tradeoffs: donations go to a personal account, offer fewer formal safeguards, may not receive charitable tax treatment, and have not undergone an independent financial audit.
I have followed and personally supported her work, but donors should make their own assessment, review her updates, and use only the payment information published through her public account.
This option may be particularly practical for people in Colombia. International donors may find the institutional organizations above easier to support.
Why direct giving can be effective
Cash assistance is one of the best-studied forms of aid. Research shows that it can improve food security, financial stability and well-being, while often being faster and less expensive to deliver than shipping goods. See, for example, research from Kenya and emergency cash assistance in Colombia.
This is why I believe La Mijita’s work is worth supporting. Because she is already on the ground, donations can be used quickly to buy supplies locally and respond to needs as they emerge. This supports the local economy, avoids unnecessary shipping costs, and allows help to reach people who might otherwise be overlooked ( which she has been doing: people reaching out to her with news or requests for help, she uses her reach in order to move people to help or get supplies quickly to neglected areas and groups).
For donors who value fast, flexible, and community-led assistance, please consider donating directly. The established organizations listed above remain good options for anyone who prefers a more formal donation channel or you can support both approaches.
How to donate directly to La Mijita
Anthía published her official donation information in this Instagram post. The translated English version of the Spanish-language flyer lists a Bancolombia savings account in the name of Anthía López Díaz.
For donors outside Colombia, the flyer suggests using:
Remitly
Sendwave
TapTap Send
Western Union
The instructions say to register the recipient before sending to avoid the transfer being blocked. International transfer services may request the recipient’s address and passport information. Please obtain those details directly from Anthía’s original post or the attached flyer, check that the recipient name matches, and confirm that the information remains current before transferring.
Because this is a person-to-person donation, it may not provide a charitable receipt, tax deduction, refund protection, or institutional financial controls. Consider making a small test transfer first where fees allow, retain the transaction receipt, and follow Anthía’s account for updates showing how donations are being used.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider these options. Whether you choose to donate, share this post, or contribute additional information, your attention is sincerely appreciated. Recovery will take time, and thoughtful support can make a meaningful difference for the people and animals affected.
I used Claude to redact part of this for efficiency.
Please consider supporting human and animal relief after the Colombia earthquake
On August 10, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, severely affecting communities across Chocó, Valle del Cauca and surrounding regions. People urgently need medical care, clean water, food, shelter and longer-term reconstruction. Animals have also been injured, displaced or separated from their families, while several animal shelters have reportedly been damaged or rendered unsafe.
For those interested in contributing, I have collected several institutional and locally led options.
Established humanitarian organizations
Cruz Roja Colombiana — conducting search and rescue, emergency medical assistance and distribution of essential supplies.
IFRC Colombia Earthquake Appeal — channels international donations to the Colombian Red Cross with IFRC oversight.
UNICEF Colombia — supporting children and families with water, sanitation, healthcare, protection and temporary education.
Direct Relief — providing requested medicines, medical supplies and grants to Colombian health organizations. Direct Relief states that 100% of donations designated for this fund will support the response to the Colombia earthquake.
Animal relief
Una Garra por Colombia is a targeted fundraiser organized with Colombian animal-welfare groups and advocates. Donations are intended to support emergency veterinary care, food and temporary shelter, repairs to damaged refuges, and efforts to reunite missing animals with their families.
Further information is available through El Espectador’s animal-welfare desk. Bogotá’s animal-welfare agency has also organized an official collection of food and veterinary supplies.
A direct, locally led option
I have also been supporting Anthía López, known online as La Mijita. She is a Spanish creator and community activist who has lived in Colombia for several years and is working directly with affected communities around Cali and Chocó.
Her public updates show her purchasing and distributing supplies. Reporting by El Progreso also describes her travel to Cali and purchases of rescue tools, ropes, tents, and bedding for people affected by the earthquake.
Direct giving to someone on the ground may enable faster, more flexible purchasing and help address needs that larger organizations overlook. However, it is important to be transparent about the tradeoffs: donations go to a personal account, offer fewer formal safeguards, may not receive charitable tax treatment, and have not undergone an independent financial audit.
I have followed and personally supported her work, but donors should make their own assessment, review her updates, and use only the payment information published through her public account.
Donation instructions and updates from La Mijita
This option may be particularly practical for people in Colombia. International donors may find the institutional organizations above easier to support.
Why direct giving can be effective
Cash assistance is one of the best-studied forms of aid. Research shows that it can improve food security, financial stability and well-being, while often being faster and less expensive to deliver than shipping goods. See, for example, research from Kenya and emergency cash assistance in Colombia.
This is why I believe La Mijita’s work is worth supporting. Because she is already on the ground, donations can be used quickly to buy supplies locally and respond to needs as they emerge. This supports the local economy, avoids unnecessary shipping costs, and allows help to reach people who might otherwise be overlooked ( which she has been doing: people reaching out to her with news or requests for help, she uses her reach in order to move people to help or get supplies quickly to neglected areas and groups).
For donors who value fast, flexible, and community-led assistance, please consider donating directly. The established organizations listed above remain good options for anyone who prefers a more formal donation channel or you can support both approaches.
How to donate directly to La Mijita
Anthía published her official donation information in this Instagram post. The translated English version of the Spanish-language flyer lists a Bancolombia savings account in the name of Anthía López Díaz.
For donors outside Colombia, the flyer suggests using:
Remitly
Sendwave
TapTap Send
Western Union
The instructions say to register the recipient before sending to avoid the transfer being blocked. International transfer services may request the recipient’s address and passport information. Please obtain those details directly from Anthía’s original post or the attached flyer, check that the recipient name matches, and confirm that the information remains current before transferring.
Because this is a person-to-person donation, it may not provide a charitable receipt, tax deduction, refund protection, or institutional financial controls. Consider making a small test transfer first where fees allow, retain the transaction receipt, and follow Anthía’s account for updates showing how donations are being used.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider these options. Whether you choose to donate, share this post, or contribute additional information, your attention is sincerely appreciated. Recovery will take time, and thoughtful support can make a meaningful difference for the people and animals affected.
I used Claude to redact part of this for efficiency.