WFP Panama: External Situation Report on Earthquake Emergency (21 October 2026)

Please refer to the attached file. KEY HIGHLIGHTS • At the request of the Government of Panama, WFP started responding within 24 hours of the earthquake. WFP is currently supporting the national response, in coordination with UN agencies and the humanitarian community, through logistics infrastructure, emergency connectivity, technical assistance and common services for national institutions and humanitarian partners. • To date, WFP has deployed four Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) to affected areas, alongside additional logistics, power and connectivity equipment, helping strengthen temporary health capacity, humanitarian storage, shelter, and response operations. • WFP developed a six-month emergency response framework to sustain logistics and telecommunications services and potentially complement Government food assistance. Further assessments and Government requests will inform the scale, targeting and appropriate response modality. SITUATION OVERVIEW • A powerful magnitude 7. 7 earthquake struck Panama on 9 October, with the strongest impacts reported across Los Santos, Herrera, Veraguas, and Coclé provinces. • The Government declared a national state of emergency on 10 October and established a High-level Inter-Institutional Committee to coordinate the response, including various Ministries and the National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC, for its Spanish acronym) through its Emergency Operations Centre (COE, for its Spanish acronym). • Assessments are still ongoing, with one fatality and 27 injuries reported to date. At least 35, 065 people have been affected, and 5, 628 remain in 126 shelters, mainly in Veraguas and Los Santos. Over 4, 000 houses, 619 schools, and 120 health facilities have been impacted. Rain, landslides and swollen rivers continue to constrain access to isolated communities and compound water and sanitation gaps. • WFP visited the areas most affected by the earthquake as part of an initial inter-agency assessment. The mission found that markets are gradually recovering, although functionality remains more limited in smaller rural communities and hard-to-reach areas, requiring further assessments.

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