On Monday, August 10th, western Colombia experienced a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake—one of the deadliest disasters the country has faced this century. More than 250 lives have been lost, entire city blocks and buildings have collapsed across Valle, Cauca, Chocó, and Quindío, and thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes, including members of our own team.
We have worked alongside women and communities in this region for many years. These are not distant communities to us—they are our friends, our partners, and courageous women who have dedicated themselves to protecting their families, their communities, and nature.
Women and children are often among those who suffer the most in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Beyond the immediate loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones, women often shoulder the responsibility of caring for children, older family members, and their communities while facing heightened risks to their own health, safety, and economic security. Children are especially vulnerable to displacement, hunger, interrupted education, trauma, and the loss of the stability they need to thrive. At the same time, natural disasters can have devastating impacts on nature, destroying forests, wildlife habitats, water sources, agricultural lands, and fragile ecosystems.
As communities struggle to survive and rebuild, the loss of livelihoods can also increase pressure on already vulnerable natural resources, as families may have no alternative but to rely more heavily on forests, water, wildlife, and surrounding lands for food, fuel, shelter, and income. In rural and underserved areas, this creates a deeply interconnected crisis in which the well-being of women, children, and nature cannot be separated.
Supporting women and restoring their livelihoods while protecting and recovering ecosystems is therefore essential to helping entire communities rebuild with greater resilience, dignity, and hope for the future.