Venezuela Earthquake Emergency Relief — June 2026

On June 24, 2026, two devastating earthquakes — measuring 7.5 and 7.2 magnitude — struck Venezuela's northern coast within 40 seconds of each other, the largest to hit the country in over a century. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency. Authorities have confirmed 12,721 people displaced and 774 buildings collapsed, including a large hotel in Macuto and multiple high-rises in La Guaira, as well as buildings across Caracas. Caracas, La Guaira, and Miranda have been declared disaster zones.

Nearly a week after the quakes, and roughly 48 hours past the critical 72-hour survival window, search and rescue operations are still underway. IRC teams and partners on the ground report that tens of thousands of people remain missing beneath the rubble, with elevated concern for children's safety given the scale of those unaccounted for. The IRC is prioritizing family tracing and reunification support, as many families have now gone more than five days without knowing whether loved ones survived.

The national water system has failed across seven states, leaving survivors in shelters, injured people in hospitals, and rescue workers in the field without reliable access to safe drinking water. Medical facilities and mobile units are overwhelmed, shelters are at full capacity, and power and communications remain disrupted in several areas. Hundreds of aftershocks — which seismologists warn could continue for three to six months — have left many families too afraid to return home, sheltering outdoors or in schools converted into emergency housing instead.

These earthquakes have struck a country already in crisis. Nearly 8 million people inside Venezuela were in urgent humanitarian need before June 24, with stretched public systems, limited healthcare, and many families unable to meet basic needs — a situation worsened by recent aid funding cuts.

The IRC has been operational in Venezuela since 2021, working through local partners to deliver health care, nutrition, water and sanitation, protection, education, and economic support. In 2025, the IRC reached more than 75,000 people with vital assistance, and is now urgently scaling up its emergency response to meet the growing need.

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