US military delivers aid in aftermath of Panama earthquake

U.S. military personnel loaded 3,000 cases of water to deliver to affected communities and have provided rotary-wing airlift support. U.S. military personnel deployed to Panama prepare cases of water to load onto trucks destined for communities affected by the earthquake that struck on Oct. 9, 2026. (U.S. Southern Command) The U.S. military delivered immediate aid in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck Panama on Friday, U.S. Southern Command said. “U.S. military personnel deployed to Panama loaded 3,000 cases of water onto trucks destined for communities affected by the earthquake,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement Saturday. SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan has directed on-the-ground support using rotary-wing aircraft from Joint Task Force-Bravo, personnel from Joint Security Cooperation Group-Panama and the airlift of key personnel and supplies into the country.

Assigned forces will provide specialized mobility services and support to U.S. government personnel who are working with Panamanian authorities to assess damage, locate the injured and deliver critical, life-saving assistance, SOUTHCOM said. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake injured at least 27 people and damaged more than 400 buildings, including 142 homes, 188 schools, 20 health care facilities and nine bridges across nine provinces, according to a preliminary assessment by Panama’s National Civil Protection System. “The United States stands with the people of Panama,” Donovan said in a statement. The earthquake