Latin America Chapter

REACHING COROZAL, COLOMBIA 🇨🇴

For families in Corozal, a remote rural community near Irra in Risaralda, bringing humanitarian aid home means carrying it on their backs, or loading it onto horses.

With no roads leading into the community, residents met GEM’s team along the roadside in Irra to collect essential supplies and carry them the rest of the way home.

According to residents, this was the first humanitarian aid ever to reach their community.

Many families are still working to rebuild their homes and lives after the earthquake while facing unemployment. Their gratitude was deeply felt, a reminder of why reaching remote communities remains essential to our response.

Across Colombia’s Coffee Region and surrounding departments, GEM continues delivering relief, supporting emergency responders, and coordinating recovery efforts.

Since our response began on August 13, GEM has reached more than 130,000 people across 74+ municipalities in six departments.

COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE TO DATE:
• $5,695,756 in humanitarian aid delivered
• 745,956 pounds of aid shipped
• 8 cargo planes delivered
• 873 pallets shipped
• 19 containers sent
• 1 military landing craft
• 183 large generators
• 477 cases of medical supplies
• 35,035 GEM Family Necessity Kits
• 778 tents and tarps

Behind every delivery are families working toward recovery. Our commitment is to keep reaching them, wherever the journey leads.

#GEMLATAM #Colombia #EarthquakeRelief #DisasterRecovery #HumanitarianRelief

Yesterday’s NFI Distro in Macuto La Guaira Venezuela, where @globalempowermentmissionlatam VZ and @welove_foundation teams have been on the ground since the beginning and will continue to maintain offices and a warehouse in La Guaira, distributing aid on a daily basis for as long as there is a need.

As of today, our earthquake response, in partnership with @statedept, the Venezuelan diaspora, and @welove_foundation, has delivered $50 MILLION in humanitarian aid, 9,538 pallets totaling 8.1 MILLION pounds, 32 cargo planes, 375 shipping containers, and 5 military landing craft, supporting over 250,000 people per month. WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOUBLING THIS BY THE 1-year mark on June 24, 2027, therefore reaching $100 MILLION IN AID FOR VENEZUELA.

There is still much work ahead, and our commitment to the Venezuelan people remains unwavering. #Venezuela #Earthquake #GEMmissions #DisasterResponse #HumanitarianAid

COLOMBIA EARTHQUAKES | Humanitarian Aid Distributions Continue

This past week, GEM continued delivering essential supplies to earthquake-affected communities across Risaralda and Caldas, supporting families and the firefighters serving them.

At the covered community court in Barrio Mejía Robledo, in the municipality of Dosquebradas, Risaralda, distributions included diapers, wipes, toilet paper, inflatable mattresses, and blankets, everyday necessities that help families find comfort and dignity amid the disruption.

Additional distributions to firefighters in La Virginia, Risaralda; Viterbo, Caldas; and Irra, Risaralda, included chainsaws, alkaline batteries, and crutches to support their ongoing work in affected communities.

Recovery continues long after the initial emergency. GEM remains committed to helping communities meet immediate needs as they work toward stability, one day at a time.

#GEMLATAM #Colombia #DisasterRelief #HumanitarianAid #Earthquake

PANAMA Earthquake Response | Weekend Donation Drive in Cañazas and Soná, with the Support of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) LATAM

This past weekend, a group of friends came together to bring donations to remote communities in the districts of Cañazas and Soná, in the province of Veraguas, Panama. With the generous support of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), we visited Bucle, Río de Piedra, Piedra Amolar, El Picador, and Cañazas.

We chose these communities because they have received little to no support from the government, largely because they are so hard to reach. Getting there required 4x4 vehicles, which is exactly why we decided to organize ourselves and make the trip.

During our visits, we went into people’s homes to better understand their living conditions, and we quickly saw how serious the situation was. We identified several people living with disabilities who were sleeping on mattresses in very poor condition. These were the cases we prioritized, and we delivered new mattresses directly to them so they could rest with more comfort and dignity.

It was a deeply meaningful and rewarding experience for everyone involved. Seeing the reality of these communities firsthand reminded us how much a small, organized effort can make a difference. We are sincerely grateful to GEM for making this initiative possible, and we hope to continue supporting these communities in the future. To learn more about and to support this mission in Panama, visit GEM.org Special Thanks to the Mission Team:
@anavterang22
@raulteran22
@valeriarettally
@inavergara14
@estefibarrios
@franklinqz41
@arturobustillosg
@francesca.calvom
@itsmethird

#GEM #PanamaEarthquake #HumanitarianAid #DisasterResponse

GEM Executive Director, Luis Velasquez meets with the First Lady of Panamá Maricel de Mulino and Ilka Ender, CEO of the Fundación Puertas Abiertas to discuss earthquake response. @maricelmulino @primeradamapma @ilkaender @fundacionpuertasabiertas #Panama #Earthquake #HumanitarianAid