The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has launched a $148 million appeal to fund earthquake response efforts in Colombia, according to a report from Big News Network.com. The appeal comes as part of OCHA's daily operational update, which also covered the humanitarian situations in the occupied Palestinian territory and the Central African Republic.
OCHA's Friday briefing, published on August 21, 2026, highlighted ongoing needs across all three regions. The Colombia appeal is the largest single item in the update, reflecting the scale of the disaster's impact. The other two entries in OCHA's summary—covering the occupied Palestinian territory and the Central African Republic—were listed without specific funding figures or operational details in the available material.
The $148 million figure represents the UN's estimate for what is required to address immediate humanitarian needs in the earthquake-affected areas of Colombia. OCHA's daily updates serve as a coordination tool for aid agencies, governments, and donors, providing a snapshot of where resources are most urgently required. The inclusion of the occupied Palestinian territory and the Central African Republic in the same briefing indicates that those crises remain active priorities for the organization.
The appeal's success will depend on donor contributions in the coming weeks. OCHA has not yet released a breakdown of how the funds will be allocated across sectors such as shelter, health, or water and sanitation.
What to watch next: Whether member states meet the $148 million target for Colombia and whether OCHA issues further detailed assessments for the other two crises mentioned in the briefing.
