Venezuela Earthquake Emergency

On June 24th, two powerful magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck northern Venezuela within minutes of each other. The damage was severe and widespread, including to homes, schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure. Thousands have been killed or injured, and more than 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Our teams are on the ground, working alongside our local and international partners, responding in the worst affected areas. Urgent needs include safe water, healthcare, nutrition support, child protection services, psychosocial support, temporary learning spaces and other essential supplies.

A flight carrying 20 metric tonnes of supplies from UNICEF's regional office in Panama landed in Venezuela on 27th June, and a second flight with 47 tonnes of emergency supplies arrived on 30th June. Together these deliveries will support up to 100,000 people.

The shipments include essential medical and emergency health kits, personal protective equipment for health workers, collapsible water storage containers, water purification and distribution tanks to help restore access to safe drinking water, hygiene kits for affected families and tents for setting up child-friendly spaces and service points, mobility aids including wheelchairs, and recreational and early childhood development supplies to help children regain a sense of normalcy and continue learning.