Helping Hand for Relief and Development Coordinates Emergency Aid for Panama Earthquake

Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) mobilized local partnerships to bring emergency relief items to the remote village of Búcaro, Panama, after the devastating October 9th, 2026 earthquake. The magnitude 7.7 quake was followed hours later by a magnitude 6.6 aftershock, which multiplied the damage.

Eyewitnesses explain that the second shockwave caused homes to collapse, sending residents running for safety. “My mother’s house was destroyed; my house was destroyed,” one survivor said.

HHRD Local Partnerships Power Panama Earthquake Relief

HHRD has been growing its services in Mexico and the Latin American region for years. With established Skills Development programs in Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Haiti, Dominica and Jamaica, HHRD has built partnerships that are vital in times of need. United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 recognizes the value of partnerships that engage multiple stakeholders, including beneficiaries receiving services as well as nonprofit actors providing support.

HHRD Delivers Food and Hygiene Supplies to Earthquake Survivors

Following this model, HHRD engaged volunteers and staff from the USA, Mexico and Panama to gather on the scene and purchase local supplies. The team met in Panama City and drove to Chitré, a city in the Azuero region near the quake zone.

There, the team purchased supplies in bulk, including rice, sugar, oats, beans, salt, spaghetti, flour, hygiene supplies, tuna, oil, cookies for children and canned vegetables. Volunteers sorted the supplies into clear plastic bags and drove to Búcaro, where most of the damage occurred.

Volunteers delivered relief items door-to-door and visited a temporary shelter in the neighboring town of Macaracas, where displaced families were waiting for assistance.

HHRD Relies on Local Mosques and Community Knowledge

Two Panamanian mosques, Chitré Mosque and Jama Mosque, provided valuable support. These local Muslim communities led the initiative, informing HHRD of local conditions and guiding the team’s response.

HHRD was welcomed by local residents, many of whom offered whatever comfort they could afford. Owners of a local restaurant offered relief teams soup in the midst of a downpour. Even with the rain and the difficult road conditions, efforts continued until supplies were depleted.

To learn more about HHRD’s work in Panama, please visit HHRD.org.