Five days after two powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, humanitarian organizations are rapidly scaling up life-saving assistance as the country’s authorities continue to lead the response. International search and rescue operations have been fully mobilized with over 70 teams and other specialized units from 27 countries. Over 2,300 personnel are currently working alongside national authorities.
Venezuela is facing a national emergency after two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, hit the north-central region within a minute of each other at 6:00 pm local time on June 24. This is the most significant seismic event to affect Venezuela in over a century. Since Wednesday, authorities have reported more than 600 aftershocks.
The full scale of the humanitarian crisis is still emerging. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, and entire communities have yet to be reached. Aid agencies warn that, while finding survivors remains the immediate priority, the humanitarian consequences of this disaster will extend well beyond the upcoming days.
According to initial estimates by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes. These projections include up to two million people in Venezuela's capital city of Caracas alone, highlighting the potentially vast humanitarian impact of the disaster as assessments continue. Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, are in immediate need of assistance.
Several people have been rescued alive from the rubble, even as the death toll continues to rise and many remain unaccounted for. As of Monday, more than 1,700 people are confirmed dead, more than 5,000 are injured, with an estimated 50,000 missing.
Authorities also reported that over 12,000 people have been displaced. Additionally, more than 2,500 structures have been reported affected, including 38 hospitals and 774 buildings. These figures are still being reviewed as emergency operations advance.
The Venezuelan government's response has focused on search and rescue operations, providing emergency medical care, and assessing damage. Up to seven states have been impacted, including La Guaira, Caracas, Miranda, Falcón, Carabobo, and Yaracuy.
On Monday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that humanitarian organizations are expanding emergency support in the areas of health, shelter, water and sanitation, and logistics. This support is being provided through assistance sites in La Guaira and other affected municipalities, as the critical window to save lives is closing.
Since the beginning of the crisis, OCHA has helped coordinate the international response. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator conducted an initial visit to La Guaira, the worst-affected state, with UN agencies. Three strategic locations have been identified to provide services to affected individuals: the Vargas Sports Complex, the César Nieves Stadium in Catia La Mar, and the Playa Grande Stadium.
On Sunday, United Nations agencies and local authorities conducted an inspection visit to locations where food assistance, healthcare, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services will be provided. Additionally, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) met on Sunday to develop a coordinated and comprehensive strategy for delivering assistance to the designated sites based on the needs of the affected population.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting the immediate humanitarian response to the earthquakes by providing transportation, storage, and coordination infrastructure to national authorities and humanitarian partners to help restore and maintain access.
“Destruction is all around,” said Stephanie Hochstetter, WFP Country Director in Venezuela, speaking on Monday from quake-hit La Guaira, located roughly 40 minutes north of the capital Caracas.
“Many people have lost their lives.
Over the past five years, WFP has been the backbone of the humanitarian food security response in Venezuela, reaching some 750,000 people in 2025.
Hochstetter added that “people will be in great need of food.”
The core relief items prepositioned by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) are already being used in the emergency response. Caritas Venezuela is helping to set up shelters for those affected in Caracas and La Guaira, using 400 tents that were previously donated by UNHCR.
UNICEF has activated an expanded emergency response, deploying additional staff and supplies to assist an estimated 650,000 people, including 234,000 children, in the areas of health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection, and education.
The first UNICEF air shipment, containing 20 metric tons of medical supplies and water and sanitation items, arrived in Valencia on Saturday from UNICEF’s regional warehouse in Panama. A second shipment from UNICEF’s global supply hub in Copenhagen is planned for the coming days. Together, the two shipments are expected to support more than 100,000 people.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has called on the international community to swiftly support the response, noting that timely humanitarian assistance will save lives, alleviate suffering, and help affected communities begin their long road to recovery.
"The first hours and days after a disaster are decisive. They shape everything that follows," said Amy Pope, IOM Director GeneraL, in a statement on Saturday.
"IOM is scaling up rapidly: prepositioned relief items are already being deployed, and we are working with the Government and partners to deliver emergency shelter, essential supplies, and protection.”
In response to the mounting humanitarian needs caused by the earthquakes, the European Union announced on Monday that it will deliver €5 million in aid, focusing on providing shelter and healthcare to those affected by the disaster.
The EU is also organizing a humanitarian air bridge to transport essential supplies to affected areas. One flight is scheduled to leave Copenhagen early this week with around 50 tons of shelter materials, water and sanitation equipment, and educational supplies.
According to the EU, this new assistance is in addition to the €52 million already allocated this year to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.