Emergency earthquake relief

A country already broken — now shattered.

On June 24, 2026, twin earthquakes struck Venezuela — a nation already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Hundreds are dead. Thousands are missing. Millions more are suffering. We're raising funds for Direct Relief's emergency response.

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920+ Confirmed dead
4,500+ Injured
50,000+ Missing
Mw 7.5 Strongest since 1900

Two strikes, 39 seconds apart.

At 6:04 PM local time on June 24, 2026, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the Yumare–Morón area of Yaracuy state. Thirty-nine seconds later, a 7.5 mainshock followed — the strongest earthquake to strike Venezuela in over 125 years.

The tremors were felt across the entire country. Dozens of buildings collapsed in Caracas. The coastal state of La Guaira was devastated. Rescue crews, soldiers, and civilians armed with nothing but shovels are still digging through the rubble, racing against time.

"We are trying to find anything, to understand what happened — and to find even just a small piece."

— Simon Medina, searching for his mother and brother in La Guaira

Venezuela's main international airport was closed after structural damage was found in the terminal roof. Schools shut. Hospitals — already short of equipment and staff — were overwhelmed with trauma patients. The death toll is expected to rise significantly.

This disaster struck a country already on its knees.

Venezuela has been in deep crisis for over a decade — political repression, economic collapse, and the collapse of public services. The earthquakes didn't create a catastrophe; they hit one that was already unfolding.

~23%
Population that has fled

Nearly one in four Venezuelans has left the country since 2014 — one of the largest mass exoduses in modern history.

Hyper­inflation
Economic collapse

Venezuela's oil-dependent economy imploded after 2014. Millions couldn't afford basic food or medicine long before the quake.

Broken
Health system

Hospitals were already short of supplies, staff, and power. Frequent blackouts left emergency response stretched to its absolute limits.

7.9 million have already left.

Venezuela's displacement crisis is the largest in Latin America's history — and the second-largest in the world, surpassing Syria. Most fled years of violence, hunger, and political repression. Many are watching from abroad, desperate and helpless as their homeland faces this new catastrophe.

Colombia
2.8M
Peru
1.5M
Ecuador
~500K
Chile
~450K
Brazil
~400K
Worldwide
7.9M

If you're Venezuelan and your family is still in the country — or if you simply believe in helping people in crisis — this is a moment to act. 100% of donations through Direct Relief go directly to the earthquake response.

Why we're directing donations to Direct Relief.

Direct Relief is already on the ground. They're coordinating with local and regional health providers, mobilising emergency medicine, surgical supplies, antibiotics, and field medic packs for first responders. They have an established history of earthquake response, including Haiti in 2010, Nepal in 2015, and Turkey–Syria in 2023.

Critically, 100% of donations designated for Venezuela will go directly to the earthquake response — not to overhead or administration. Direct Relief is a trusted, accredited humanitarian organisation with a long track record in South America and the Caribbean.