# Donate Panama

> Donate Panama (donatepanama.org) is a volunteer-run appeal organised in London for communities affected by the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Panama's Azuero peninsula on 9 October 2026, and its aftershocks. Online donations are taken through JustGiving. Everything raised, less card fees, is shared 50/50 between Cruz Roja Panameña (the Panamanian Red Cross Society) and Club de Leones de Panamá (the Lions Club of Panama). Every transfer is published with its receipt.

## Key facts

- Organisers: three volunteers in London with family ties to Panama (Luis, Diani and Oliver). They take nothing from the appeal.
- Status: Donate Panama is a volunteer appeal, not a registered charity. Donations are not tax-deductible and do not qualify for Gift Aid.
- How to give: online via JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dianeth-cedenogonzalez (fundraising target £5,000). Larger gifts: appeal@donatepanama.org.
- Fees: the only deduction is JustGiving's card fee (2.9% + 35p per donation).
- Where the money goes: shared 50/50 between Cruz Roja Panameña and Club de Leones de Panamá for earthquake relief across Azuero. Funds are held in a dedicated account and sent at least every 14 days. The Lions' share is sent once the club's bank account has been independently checked.
- Spending phases: relief first (shelter, clean water, food, hygiene kits, cash help), then recovery (repairs, temporary classrooms), then earthquake-resistant rebuilding.
- Events: a Panamanian rum tasting and a black-tie appeal dinner at The In & Out (Naval & Military Club), St James's Square, London, in November 2026. Tickets to be announced.
- Languages: the site is in English and Spanish.

## The earthquake

- Main shock: magnitude 7.7 on Friday 9 October 2026 at 12:56 local time (UTC−5), near Pitaloza Arriba, Herrera province, about 12.6 km deep (USGS).
- It was the third-strongest earthquake anywhere in 2026 at the time.
- Hundreds of aftershocks followed, several above magnitude 6.
- Preliminary damage figures: more than 1,000 homes damaged and 656 schools damaged or affected. The worst-hit areas include Tonosí, Macaracas, Pedasí and Las Tablas (Los Santos); Los Pozos and Chitré (Herrera); and Santiago, Soná and Mariato (Veraguas). The cathedral tower in Penonomé (Coclé) collapsed.
- On 12 October UNICEF said 38,000 people, including 8,300 children, needed humanitarian assistance.

## The two partners

- Cruz Roja Panameña: Panama's Red Cross Society, with volunteers on the ground since the first hours. Donate Panama is independent of the Red Cross Movement.
- Club de Leones de Panamá: Lions clubs serving Panama since 1935. Clubs collect water, food and hygiene kits, and local Lions in Azuero and Veraguas deliver them to families. Donate Panama is independent of Lions Clubs International.

## Pages

- [Appeal home](https://donatepanama.org/): the appeal, aftershock map, damage, where the money goes, events, FAQs
- [Cruz Roja Panameña](https://donatepanama.org/cruz-roja.html): how Panama's Red Cross is responding
- [Club de Leones de Panamá](https://donatepanama.org/leones.html): how Panama's Lions clubs are collecting and delivering aid
- [Donate on JustGiving](https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dianeth-cedenogonzalez)

## Contact

appeal@donatepanama.org