Almost a Month After the Earthquakes in Venezuela: Bringing Aid to the Hardest-to-Reach Communities
Almost a month after the devastating earthquakes, media attention has shifted elsewhere. In Venezuela, however, the humanitarian crisis continues. Thousands of people remain without homes, access to safe drinking water, or healthcare, while many remote communities have only very limited access to humanitarian assistance. Through its partner organization People in Need and local partners, we continue to provide aid, including in areas that few humanitarian organizations are able to reach.
The first days after the disaster were dedicated to search and rescue operations. Today, hope of finding more survivors has all but faded, although posters bearing the photographs of missing people still hang in many places. Attention has therefore shifted to those who survived the earthquakes but lost their homes, livelihoods, or access to basic services.
Our partner organization, People in Need, continues to monitor the situation on the ground together with eight Venezuelan civil society organizations. Their findings confirm that the humanitarian situation remains extremely serious and, in many areas, is even worse than official figures suggest.
“The disaster has devastated a country that was already economically crippled. The state simply does not have the capacity or the resources to provide assistance to everyone in need. As a result, many people are heavily dependent on support from outside,” says Marek Štys, Head of Humanitarian Aid at People in Need.
Expanding Aid to Hard-to-Reach Areas
The situation remains most critical in La Guaira state, where the earthquakes caused extensive damage to homes, hospitals, and water infrastructure. However, significant humanitarian needs have also been reported in Caracas, Miranda, and other parts of the country.
According to our partners, most humanitarian assistance is naturally concentrated in larger cities and more accessible locations. Meanwhile, many coastal, rural, and remote communities remain largely overlooked, even though their residents face the same—or in some cases even greater—hardships.
Damaged roads, power outages, and disruptions to mobile and internet networks continue to hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid. In some areas, access to safe drinking water, healthcare, and basic food supplies remains extremely limited.
Supporting Communities Beyond the Earthquake Zone
The humanitarian crisis extends far beyond the areas directly affected by the earthquakes. Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, seeking shelter with relatives, in collective centres, or in temporary shelters. Many of the communities hosting them are themselves struggling with limited access to safe drinking water, healthcare, and other essential services. The arrival of displaced families is placing additional strain on already overstretched local infrastructure, increasing the need for humanitarian assistance even in areas that were not directly impacted by the earthquakes.
Meeting Immediate Needs and Supporting Community Recovery
In cooperation with People in Need and our local Alliance2015 partners – ACTED, CESVI, and Ayuda en Acción – People in Peril continues to deliver assistance where it is needed most.
The greatest needs remain:
- Food
- Safe drinking water
- Hygiene supplies
- Medicines and medical supplies
- Emergency shelter
- Psychosocial support
At the same time, the response is gradually expanding beyond emergency relief to include the restoration of essential services. Alongside immediate humanitarian assistance, we are supporting the rehabilitation of schools, the recovery of community infrastructure, and the strengthening of local organizations that play a vital role in the response. These organizations know their communities best and are often able to reach areas that international humanitarian actors cannot.
You Can Help
Although Venezuela is no longer making headlines, the humanitarian crisis is far from over. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, People in Peril and its partners continue to provide safe drinking water, food, hygiene supplies, medical assistance, emergency shelter, and psychosocial support to families who have lost almost everything. Your support can help people in Venezuela recover from this disaster and begin rebuilding their lives.
You can support the emergency response by making a donation through our fundraising page or by sending a blank donation SMS to 837 (value: €5, Slovak mobile operators only).
We would like to thank everyone who has already supported our response. Your generosity is helping families whose lives were turned upside down by the earthquakes. Every donation enables us to continue delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance to the people who need it most.
