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Last updated: July 2, 2026

Earthquakes in Venezuela: Your donation helps!

Help people in need in Venezuela with your donation!
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On 24 June, two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northwestern La Guaira state within less than a minute, around 160 kilometres from the capital Caracas. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quakes measured magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. Authorities fear the death toll could range between 10,000 and 100,000, making this the strongest earthquake in Venezuela in more than a century. The government has declared a state of emergency. Emergency teams are searching through the rubble for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. The impact of the earthquakes was felt as far as the capital, where several structures have been destroyed. Nearly 2.5 million people across the country are directly affected.

Five days after the earthquakes, at least 2,295 people have lost their lives, according to the United Nations. However, the actual death toll is likely to be significantly higher, as tens of thousands of people are still reported missing. In addition, at least 11,267 people have been injured, and the numbers continue to rise (as of July 1, 2026).

Our earthquake response in Venezuela

We are on the ground, working closely with our local partners and the Venezuelan Order of Malta to deliver life-saving emergency relief. To support the response, we have made an initial allocation of EUR 250,000. Our emergency relief team has arrived in the affected area and has begun operations.

In La Guaira, the Venezuelan Order of Malta is providing medical care to injured people and distributing drinking water and clothing to those affected by the disaster. Together with our local partner organization, we also are deploying fully equipped mobile clinic units over a period of three months to ensure access to healthcare in the hardest-hit areas of Caracas, La Guaira, and Miranda.

In addition, we are sending medicines and medical supplies from Germany to help address the acute shortages reported in the crisis-affected region. Furthermore, two medical specialists from our emergency Pool of Experts have joined an Emergency Medical Team of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, which traveled to the earthquake-affected area on 30 June 2026.

Since 2020, we have been supporting people in need in Venezuela through our local partners, particularly in the areas of health and nutrition.

 

Crisis in Venezuela

The earthquakes hit a country already facing a severe crisis. Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis stems from a prolonged economic collapse marked by hyperinflation, widespread poverty, and high unemployment. With inflation projected to exceed 600 percent in 2026, basic food items and access to healthcare have become unaffordable for the majority of people. As a result, 7.9 million Venezuelans have been forced to leave their homes.

Your support matters. Help families affected by the earthquakes and support us in providing urgently needed assistance. Every donation counts.

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Earthquakes in Venezuela - news and stories of our support on the ground:

Haydee Darias: “I have never experienced anything like this.”

Haydee Darias, 66, from Venezuela is a true survivor. When she was eight years old, she lived through her first severe earthquake. In 1999, she survived the “Catastrophe of Vargas”, when torrential rains triggered landslides that killed and displaced thousands of people in what is now La Guaira. Despite hardships and challenges in her crises-stricken country, she built a live for herself and her family. Then, on June 24th, 2026, she felt the ground shake again.

Read more
29.06.2026

Earthquake Venezuela: Mobile Medical Units for Crisis Region

Cologne/Caracas. Malteser International’s Emergency Response Team arrived in the disaster zone over the weekend and has begun operations. “The situation on the ground is catastrophic. In fact, isolated rescues are still taking place. Absolute silence is required in the surrounding area to hear survivors in the rubble. The silence hanging over the destroyed homes moved me deeply. There are too few ambulances, and some of the injured are being transported improvised on motorcycles to nearby hospitals. There is a particular shortage of emergency medical equipment, medicines, and supplies for trauma care,” says Jonas Jung, Emergency Relief Coordinator at Malteser International, from La Guaira.

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26.06.2026

Earthquake in Venezuela: Team from Malteser International flies to crisis region

Cologne/Caracas. An emergency team from Malteser International will travel from Germany to Caracas on Saturday aboard a German Armed Forces aircraft to support relief efforts for people affected by Wednesday’s massive earthquake. "Since some airports in Venezuela have been destroyed, the opportunity to reach people as quickly as possible with the support of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is a tremendous help to us," says Jonas Jung, Emergency Relief Coordinator at Malteser International.

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25.06.2026

Malteser International provides 250,000 euros for first relief measures

Cologne/Caracas. Two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela’s western coastal region on Wednesday evening local time. Buildings collapsed in cities close to the epicentre, and thousands of fatalities are feared. Malteser International will provide immediate emergency assistance of 250,000 euros to support rapid relief efforts in the affected areas.

 

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