More Than Ten Days After the Venezuela Earthquakes: Humanitarian Response Continues as Needs Remain Enormous

More than ten days after the devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, the country is still grappling with the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in recent decades. While hope of finding additional survivors has faded, the humanitarian crisis is far from over. Tens of thousands of people remain without homes or access to basic necessities. Together with its partners, People in Peril continues to provide emergency assistance on the ground while maintaining its public fundraising campaign to support communities affected by the disaster.

The first days following the earthquakes were focused on search and rescue operations. Today, attention has shifted to people who survived the disaster but lost their homes, livelihoods, or possessions. According to estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the earthquakes affected approximately 6.7 million people. Many communities still lack reliable access to safe drinking water, healthcare, and other essential services, while damaged infrastructure continues to hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The impact of the earthquakes has been compounded by Venezuela’s prolonged economic and humanitarian crisis, which had already left the country highly vulnerable before the disaster. Hospitals continue to face shortages of medicines and medical supplies, while thousands of families are living in temporary shelters or makeshift accommodation.

Our partners are also reporting the displacement of people from some of the hardest-hit areas to safer regions. Entire communities have been nearly wiped out, and humanitarian organizations expect that hundreds more people will be forced to leave their homes in the coming weeks.

“Venezuela was struck by two powerful earthquakes measuring over magnitude 7 within less than a minute, making this one of the strongest and most devastating natural disasters the country has experienced in the past century. The catastrophe struck a country already facing a deep economic, political, and humanitarian crisis that has persisted for years. The situation was made even more tragic by the fact that the earthquakes occurred in the early evening during a national holiday. Schools were closed, most people were off work, and countless families were at home when the earthquakes hit,” says Marián Cehelník, Emergency and Security Advisor at People in Peril.

Providing Assistance on the Ground

People in Peril is delivering humanitarian assistance through its partner organization People in Need Czech Republic (Člověk v tísni), the international humanitarian organization ACTED, CESVI, and other members of the Alliance2015 network. These organizations have a long-standing presence in Venezuela and extensive experience in responding to humanitarian crises. Their in-depth knowledge of the local context and years of operational experience enable us to respond quickly and ensure that assistance reaches the people who need it most.

Together with our partners, we are currently:

• distributing food and essential household items in the areas of La Guaira, Miranda, Caracas, and Carabobo,
• expanding our response to additional affected areas, including the Morón region in Carabobo State,
• assessing the evolving needs of affected communities to ensure that assistance is continuously adapted to the situation on the ground,
• preparing community kitchens where this form of support best meets the needs of local communities,
• organizing activities for children to help reduce the psychological impact of the disaster,
• coordinating the next phase of the response with our Alliance2015 partners to ensure a smooth transition from emergency relief to early recovery.

Thank You for Your Support

As the most acute phase of the disaster comes to an end, a less visible but equally critical stage begins. Beyond meeting people’s immediate needs, affected communities will require psychological support and assistance in rebuilding their homes and livelihoods for many months to come. People in Peril’s public fundraising campaign remains open. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we can continue working alongside our partners to respond to the most urgent needs of people affected by the earthquakes and provide assistance wherever it is needed most.

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 contributed to the response. Your generosity and solidarity are helping families whose lives were turned upside down by the earthquakes. Every donation enables us to continue delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance and reach those who need it most.

“Following the dramatic race against time to rescue people trapped beneath collapsed buildings, the focus has now shifted to addressing urgent humanitarian needs. Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes, hospitals are struggling with shortages of medical supplies and staff, damaged water infrastructure has limited access to safe drinking water, and many survivors will need psychological support. We invite you to support our fundraising campaign and stand in solidarity with those whose lives have been devastated by this catastrophic earthquake, even though they are thousands of kilometres away. Thank you for your generosity,” says Andrea Najvirtová, Director of People in Peril.