UNESCO's Heritage Emergency Fund backs Colombia's cultural recovery after the August earthquake

29 October 2026

UNESCO reported that Colombia is moving ahead on recovery for its cultural sector after the earthquake that struck the country on 10 August 2026. The work is being carried out by the Ministry of Culture, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, the United Nations system in Colombia and UNESCO, with support from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. The step involves specialised training and emergency measures to protect heritage, including assessing the damage done to cultural property. The Heritage Emergency Fund has put in more than USD 60,000 as initial resources for technical support teams, specialised training and urgent protection of heritage buildings and traditional dwellings in the affected municipalities of Colombia's Coffee Cultural Landscape. The Heritage Emergency Fund is the mechanism through which UNESCO responds quickly to disasters and conflicts that threaten culture, whether that is monuments, museums, archives or living heritage.