Just days after a pair of devastating back-to-back earthquakes rocked southern Panama, the international community has rallied around the Central American nation as disaster response teams work to address widespread damage across the country, with a specific focus on the thousands of vulnerable children impacted by the natural disaster.
On October 9, the region was jolted by two major tremors: first a 7.7-magnitude quake centered in Panama’s central Herrera province, as recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey, followed closely by a 6.6-magnitude aftershock that exacerbated already dangerous conditions. The seismic activity triggered immediate evacuations across the nation and caused the collapse of multiple structures near the epicenter. In the days following the initial quakes, more than 100 additional aftershocks have kept communities on edge, with official assessments confirming damage in all 10 of Panama’s provinces and both of the country’s Indigenous territories. Remarkably, no fatalities have been linked to the earthquakes to date, though infrastructure damage has been extensive.
In Panama City, the capital, critical public services have been strained. One major water treatment plant is currently operating at just 20% of its normal capacity, leaving large portions of the population without consistent access to clean drinking water. Six local hospitals have set up temporary tent camps with cots to accommodate an influx of people seeking medical care for quake-related injuries and displacement.
Education systems across the country have also been hit hard by the disaster. Official damage tallies have risen rapidly in recent days: a preliminary count taken just one day after the quakes put the number of damaged schools at 188, but that figure has since climbed to 656. All classes remain suspended indefinitely across affected areas, leaving millions of students out of school.
As a result of the widespread disruption to housing, schooling and basic services, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that more than 8,000 children are currently in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. During a October 13 press briefing held at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that UNICEF and its partner organizations have already scaled up emergency response operations. The agency has deployed additional response personnel and pre-positioned critical relief supplies, erected emergency medical tents adjacent to damaged hospitals, and launched rapid needs assessments for water, sanitation, and education services.
To sustain and expand this critical response, UNICEF has launched an appeal for $2.5 million in international funding. Panama’s national Red Cross Society has also mobilized its entire network of full-time staff and community volunteers to deliver first aid to injured survivors, provide psychosocial support to people traumatized by the disaster, and carry out neighborhood-level needs assessments to identify vulnerable groups that have yet to receive aid. Separately, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has issued a formal statement pledging full solidarity with the Panamanian people and government as they work to recover and rebuild from the disaster.