ABU DHABI — Under the directives of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Aid Agency has announced an emergency humanitarian response to assist communities affected by an earthquake that struck several areas of Panama, causing property damage and widespread evacuations, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

Source: WAM via Emirati Times, Oct 25

The initiative aims to deliver essential supplies and shelter materials to affected communities, helping meet the immediate needs of people across age groups, the agency said. Dr Tareq Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said the agency is working with the UAE Embassy in Panama, local authorities and relevant international organisations to ensure swift delivery of relief aid, particularly in the hardest-hit areas and to the most vulnerable families.

The humanitarian operation will be guided by assessments issued by relevant United Nations organisations, the agency added.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Panama's Azuero Peninsula on October 9, 2026, at 12:56 pm local time — described as the strongest to hit Panama since 1882 — killing at least two people and injuring at least 27 others, according to the WAM report carried by Emirati Times. By October 21, assessments cited by London Daily News recorded at least 35,065 people affected, 5,628 people remaining in 126 temporary shelters — mainly in Veraguas and Los Santos — and more than 4,000 homes, 619 schools and 120 health facilities affected.

Source: London Daily News, Oct 25

Rain, landslides and swollen rivers have since complicated access to isolated communities, the assessment summary said, adding to water and sanitation pressures in shelter sites.