Beyoncé gives $1 million for Colombia earthquake relief

Beyoncé announced a personal donation of $1 million to support relief efforts in Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that devastated the Chocó region on Aug. 10, 2026. Parkwood Entertainment confirmed the pledge in a press release dated Aug. 25, 2026, stating that the funds are earmarked to immediately help provide food and housing supplies to the hardest-hit areas.

The donation will be channeled through Food for the Poor and World Central Kitchen, two organizations already operating on the ground. According to the release, the contribution is intended to address urgent needs such as food, shelter, and basic supplies, with priority given to areas where infrastructure damage has made access to services and supplies more difficult.

The earthquake struck early on Aug. 10, with an epicenter approximately three miles east of San Jose del Palmar, about 150 miles from Bogotá. The Associated Press reported at least 312 people killed and 29,000 homes destroyed, citing figures from Colombia's central government. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that about 10 percent of Chocó's population, roughly 69,000 people, were affected or displaced.

Beyoncé's contribution follows a $1.25 million pledge from Shakira, announced last week, which will help rebuild 10 schools and a university through her Pies Descalzos Foundation. The two artists' donations are among several celebrity and corporate responses to the disaster, though Beyoncé's is directed at immediate humanitarian relief rather than long-term reconstruction.

The donation is separate from Beyoncé's BeyGOOD Foundation, which last year contributed $2.5 million to Los Angeles wildfire relief. ColombiaOne reported that the involvement of an international figure like Beyoncé could increase global awareness of the emergency and encourage additional contributions.

“The donation is earmarked to immediately help provide food and housing supplies to the hardest hit areas affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Chocó, Colombia early morning on August 10th.”

: Parkwood Entertainment press release