United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher called on UN member states and donors Wednesday for an additional US$296 million to provide life-saving support to 1.3 million people affected by devastating earthquakes in Venezuela over the next six months. Two weeks after the earthquakes hit, Venezuelan authorities have reported more than 3,800 deaths, at least 16,740 injuries, and 6,462 rescues since the start of the emergency. Some 18,000 people have been left homeless.
The country is facing a national emergency after two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 hit the north-central region within a minute of each other at 6 pm local time on June 24. The quakes are the most significant seismic event to affect Venezuela in over a century. At least 856 buildings have been affected, including 190 that collapsed. Authorities have reported over 1,100 aftershocks since the devastating earthquakes hit.
On Wednesday, the UN released an amendment to the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, which already required $632 million, to provide food, shelter, health care, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other essential services.
To date, around $300 million has been received for response efforts in Venezuela. With the addendum, however, the current funding gap stands at approximately $600 million.
Fletcher thanked donors for their contributions thus far and urged member states and other donors to support essential services by providing practical assistance and investments as the response shifts from search and rescue to the broader humanitarian and recovery phase.
“Now, for the next phase, it is essential that – as we transition from the search-and-rescue effort to the wider humanitarian response, and to the essential reconstruction, early recovery, development response – that we have one clear coordinated plan, and we have that plan,” he said.
Fletcher added that the most urgent priorities right now are shelter, health, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), food security, protection, education, and early recovery.
On Tuesday, the UN relief chief began a four-day visit to Venezuela to see the impact of the earthquakes and ongoing response efforts firsthand. On his first day, he witnessed the scale of the devastation in La Guaira state, which was hit hardest. At least seven states have been impacted, including La Guaira, Caracas, Miranda, FalcĂłn, Carabobo, and Yaracuy.
Fletcher spoke with families affected by the disaster and with people still searching through the rubble alongside first responders, clinging to the hope of finding their loved ones alive. The UN humanitarian aid chief also met with Acting President Delcy RodrĂguez and other senior government officials. He was accompanied by the Humanitarian Coordinator, Gianluca Rampolla, to discuss ongoing response efforts and how the UN can support affected communities in the next phase of relief.
The Venezuelan government's response has focused on search and rescue operations, providing emergency medical care, and assessing damage. The UN and its humanitarian partners remain on the ground, working with national authorities to support survivors and address people’s most urgent needs.
According to Venezuelan authorities, 87 transitional camps are supporting affected communities. These camps have a capacity of over 22,000 people and are currently housing nearly 17,000. As of Wednesday, 39 of these camps are in Caracas, 26 in La Guaira, and 22 in Miranda.
On Wednesday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) noted that, to date, a significant portion of the humanitarian response has been concentrated in La Guaira, Caracas, and Miranda states, where large-scale interventions have been prioritized.
However, FalcĂłn, Aragua, and Carabobo have also experienced significant impacts. In these states, infrastructure damage, service disruption, and comparatively lower operational coverage indicate unmet needs and gaps in assistance, especially among populations in hard-to-reach areas.
On Tuesday, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that a public health emergency is unfolding in Venezuela as health systems, already under strain, struggle to meet the surge in demand following the twin earthquakes.
An IRC-led assessment of the affected areas revealed that 20 health facilities are experiencing severe shortages of essential medical supplies. The assessment also found that only 1,038 healthcare workers are serving a population of over 1.7 million—about one healthcare worker for every 1,700 people.
Venezuela's health system was already short of equipment, medications, and reliable power before the earthquakes, leaving little capacity to both provide emergency first aid to the over 16,000 injured and meet the ongoing needs of vulnerable communities.
An initial assessment by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) indicates that the direct damage to housing and infrastructure amounts to approximately $37 billion. Most of the damage, estimated at around $24 billion, is concentrated in housing, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public facilities.
The devastating earthquakes occurred at a time when millions of Venezuelans were already facing significant humanitarian needs. At the start of the year, nearly 8 million people in Venezuela required humanitarian assistance due to economic stagnation, inflation, and overburdened public services.
Venezuela continues to grapple with complex economic and political developments that adversely affect vulnerable populations. Persistent gaps in basic services, including healthcare, water, education, and energy, remain among the most critical needs of vulnerable communities.
Access to social protection, livelihood support, and income-generating opportunities is limited, particularly for women, children, older adults, people with disabilities, indigenous communities, displaced people, and individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.