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Belalcázar, Caldas, Colombia · 10 August 2026

Help Belalcázar families rebuild their homes after the Colombia earthquake

On 10 August 2026, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia. Belalcázar is a small town in Colombia’s coffee-growing region. Numerous homes were destroyed or damaged, leaving families in need of support to rebuild their homes.

A collapsed brick-and-tile building spills rubble and twisted metal roofing across a street in Belalcázar; a firefighter on a motorcycle and several residents are further along the road.
Belalcázar, Caldas · August 2026 — sent from the town by the campaign’s local representative.

What happened

A magnitude 7.4 (Mww) earthquake struck on 10 August 2026 at 07:34 Colombia time (12:34 UTC). The United States Geological Survey reviewed epicenter was 5 km south of San José del Palmar, Chocó, at a depth of 110 km.

Colombia’s Servicio Geológico Colombiano also registered the event.

Source: United States Geological Survey event page M 7.4 — 5 km S of San José del Palmar, Colombia · United States Geological Survey · 10 August 2026

Source: SGC earthquake information · Servicio Geológico Colombiano · 10 August 2026

The situation in Belalcázar

Belalcázar lies about 50 kilometres (30 miles) in a straight line from the reviewed epicentre near San José del Palmar, Chocó — measured between the United States Geological Survey epicentre and the town centre. Drag and zoom to explore. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (self-hosted extract).

Belalcázar lies about 50 kilometres (30 miles) in a straight line from the earthquake’s reviewed epicentre — measured between the United States Geological Survey epicentre (4.84° N, 76.24° W, 5 km south of San José del Palmar, Chocó) and the town centre. The rupture itself occurred about 110 km beneath the surface.

Scale of the damage in Belalcázar

According to the preliminary damage assessment, there were no fatalities or injuries in Belalcázar. However, around 60 homes were destroyed and another 220 were damaged. The assessment is still ongoing, and the figures may change as more information becomes available.

Belalcázar is located in a high seismic hazard zone, according to the municipality’s official emergency response plan. Local authorities have also identified structural weaknesses in some existing homes, including minimal earthquake-resistant construction. Newer buildings are generally built with more resistant materials. These vulnerabilities existed before the 10 August earthquake and should not be confused with damage caused by the earthquake itself.

Team

This is a Swiss-Colombian family initiative. It is organized from Basel, Switzerland, by Andreas Toro Henao*, a business journalist, together with his husband, Julio Alonso Toro Henao, who was born in Belalcázar, Colombia. Julio’s sister lives in Belalcázar and leads the municipal health department since 2024. The family’s close ties to Belalcázar provide a direct connection between the initiative in Switzerland and the community affected by the earthquake.

* Andreas Toro Henao was born Andreas Möckli and continues to publish under the name Andreas Möckli in his professional work as a journalist.

The Swiss association — United for Belalcázar

United for Belalcázar is a non-profit association based in Basel, Switzerland. It was formally established on 13th August 2026 under Swiss law and provides the legal and organisational framework for Rebuild Belalcázar.

The association is responsible for fundraising in Switzerland, financial oversight, reporting and ensuring that donated funds are used for their intended purpose. Andreas Toro Henao serves as President and Julio Alonso Toro Henao as Vice-President. Hans-Peter Speringer, Basel, serves as the association’s independent financial examiner.

The board is currently being expanded with additional members who can contribute relevant professional expertise and networks.

Donations

All donations through RaiseNow are greatly appreciated and help support the reconstruction efforts in Belalcázar.

At present, donations can be made via TWINT and PayPal only. Payments by credit or debit card are temporarily unavailable, as the registration of the Swiss association United for Belalcázar in the Swiss Commercial Register is still pending.

For major donations or institutional contributions, please contact us directly. We can provide the bank details of the Swiss association United for Belalcázar, which holds its association account with Raiffeisenbank Basel. We will send you the IBAN and all information required to transfer your contribution safely to us.

Tax-Exempt Status

United for Belalcázar is a non-profit association based in Basel, Switzerland. Our application for tax-exempt status on the grounds of charitable purpose has been prepared and will shortly be submitted to the competent tax authorities of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Tax-exempt status has not yet been granted.

How we manage your donation

Rebuild Belalcázar is backed by United for Belalcázar, a non-profit association based in Basel, Switzerland. The association has been formally established and is responsible for fundraising, financial oversight and ensuring that donations are used for their intended purpose.

Funds for reconstruction will be transferred only to a suitable and carefully vetted partner organisation in Colombia. The local structure is currently being developed and will operate independently of the Municipality of Belalcázar and its authorities.

Donated funds will not be transferred to the Municipality of Belalcázar, its authorities, or any other government entity. Funds will be managed independently and used exclusively for clearly defined and documented reconstruction and recovery measures benefiting people affected by the earthquake.

Our guiding principle is clear leadership, shared control. The Swiss organisation is led by Andreas Toro Henao, while the local implementation in Colombia will be led by Manuela Toro Henao. Major financial, project and procurement decisions will not be made by any one individual.

All transfers to Colombia will be subject to clear written agreements, documented use of funds and appropriate oversight. Our aim is simple: to ensure that money raised for Belalcázar is used transparently and effectively for the people of Belalcázar.

Who we help

Our support is intended for people in Belalcázar and the surrounding area whose homes and livelihoods have been affected by the earthquake. Beneficiaries will be selected according to clear, transparent and documented criteria. Personal relationships, public visibility or political connections will play no role in determining who receives support.

The exact criteria will be developed together with our local partners once the full extent of the damage and the assistance provided by Colombian authorities and other organisations are known. Our aim is to direct support where it is genuinely needed and to avoid duplicating assistance already provided by others.

Photos from Belalcázar

A collapsed brick-and-tile building spills rubble and twisted metal roofing across a street; a firefighter on a motorcycle and several residents are further along the road under a clear sky.
A collapsed building spills rubble across a street as residents and a firefighter survey the damage. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A person standing on fallen beams points at a damaged two-story house; collapsed brick walls and debris surround a parked motorcycle in the foreground.
Image edited: plate blurred A resident standing on fallen beams points out damage to a two-story house. A vehicle license plate has been blurred. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A street view of a yellow-and-green two-story house with ornate balconies next to a building whose upper front wall has collapsed onto the sidewalk, leaving rooms exposed; caution tape crosses the street.
The upper floor of a brightly painted townhouse lost its front wall; the neighboring balcony house still stands. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A concrete post and wall section lean diagonally over a sidewalk, held back by yellow caution tape reading “peligro no pase”; a colorful green house front and an exposed upper room are visible behind.
A cordoned-off house front leans over the sidewalk behind “danger — do not cross” tape. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A single-story house with shattered white block walls and a collapsed tile roof, its wooden frame exposed against the sky; rubble covers the yard and red bougainvillea flowers grow at the right.
A small house reduced to broken block walls and a stripped roof frame; bougainvillea still blooms beside it. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
View from inside a room upward at a destroyed roof: crossed and splintered bamboo poles and boards hang over the walls with open sky behind them.
Looking up from inside a home: the roof is gone, leaving splintered guadua-bamboo trusses against the sky. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
Seen from above, the shoes of several people standing among broken roof tiles, boards, and a bamboo pole on a cracked floor.
Residents walk through a damaged home over fallen tiles and beams during an inspection. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A kitchen corner with a wide diagonal crack running from the window frame down the plaster wall; a microwave, cleaning bottles, and a patterned tablecloth are nearby.
A kitchen wall split open beside the window; the household keeps using the room. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A white bedroom wall with a long crack branching into several directions from ceiling to floor; folded clothes and a chair stand in the corner.
A branching crack runs the full height of a bedroom wall. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A kitchen with its roof collapsed inward: bamboo poles and boards rest over the counter, the window frame is broken, and green hills are visible where the wall is missing.
A kitchen lost its roof and outer wall; the valley is visible through the missing corner. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A white-and-green corner house with its roof structure collapsed under a black tarpaulin; wooden debris and broken tiles are piled along the sidewalk beside a yellow-marked crosswalk.
A corner house at Calle 10 and Carrera 6: the roof gave way and is covered with tarpaulin; cleared rubble lines the crosswalk. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A white two-story house with a tall brick lattice tower; its entire side wall has broken away, exposing an interior room with a hanging lamp, above a green mountain valley.
A house with a mirador tower above the valley: the quake tore its side wall open, exposing the rooms. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
The collapsed remains of a house lying flat — roof sheets, timber, and scattered bricks — on a concrete terrace, with hazy blue mountain ranges in the distance.
A house flattened to the ground on the ridge; the Cauca valley stretches out behind the debris. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
An old corner house with blue corrugated upper cladding and exposed timber roof beams; the clay-tile roof has slipped and the plaster walls are cracked and peeling.
A traditional timber-and-tile corner house on Carrera 6: the roof frame slipped and the upper walls split. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A three-level house on a slope with its front walls fallen away, exposing bedrooms with mattresses and bunk beds; broken bricks and roofing are scattered down the hillside.
A hillside home lost its outer walls; bedrooms with their beds stand open to the air, bricks spilled down the slope. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026
A gap between a yellow house with an ornate swan balcony and an orange house: the home between them is reduced to a bare frame sealed with turquoise tarpaulin, with rubble piled on the street.
Between two of Belalcázar’s painted facades, a neighbour’s home is gutted and closed off with tarpaulin; the rubble waits at the curb. Photo: sent from Belalcázar by the campaign’s local representative · August 2026

In the news

Independent coverage of the earthquake in international media. These links go to the original publishers; this site reproduces none of their content and loads no third-party resources.

Headlines are quoted verbatim in their original language and link to the publisher. Casualty and damage figures changed rapidly in the first days: check each article’s date and our dated updates.