United Way Guatemala Joined Forces in Earthquake Relief Efforts

“I thought no one would come,” said Adela Marroquin, a worker at the Municipal Shelter of Santa María de Jesús, Sacatepéquez. “Thank you for bringing food and supplies for the children.” Adela and her community were among those affected by the July 8th earthquakes that rocked Sacatepéquez and Escuintla.  

Ordinarily, food security poses a challenge, but a disaster makes the food crisis more acute. Guatemala’s geography poses unique challenges that have fostered a culture of disaster prevention and resilience, especially in vulnerable communities. Between March and May 2025, an estimated 15.6% of the population, including 1 million children and adolescents, faced emergency levels of food insecurity.  

Thank you for bringing food and supplies for the children.

The earthquakes severely impacted Sacatepéquez and Escuintla, blocking roads, collapsing homes, and cutting off access to food. In response, United Way Guatemala activated its emergency plan.  As a key partner in the Humanitarian Network of Guatemala—a national multisector response ecosystem—they delivered 1,882 aid kits containing food, hygiene products, blankets, hydration drinks, and nutritional supplements.  

Priority areas—Santa María de Jesús and San Vicente Pacaya—were identified using data from the National Coordinator for the Reduction of Disasters of Natural or Man-Made Origin (CONRED) and coordinated through the network. Key partners such as Fundarveja, Passion Asociación, RED, and Friendship Bridge distributed food with support from companies including Pedidos Ya, P&G, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Vitasal, Banco de Antigua, Kellanova, CMI, and Banco G&T Continental.  

This response reinforces United Way Guatemala’s vision: to continue promoting resilience and scalable emergency response models focused on immediate relief and long-term well-being for vulnerable communities.