Venezuela Earthquake 2026

On 24 June 2026, two powerful earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela less than a minute apart. A magnitude 7.2 foreshock occurred at around 6:04 p.m. local time, followed 39 seconds later by a magnitude 7.5 mainshock, with epicentres in the Yaracuy region at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometres. These are among the strongest earthquakes to have struck Venezuela in over 100 years.

The earthquakes caused widespread devastation:

• More than 6,000 people were killed.
• Over 16,700 were injured, with thousands missing.
• Almost 18,000 people were left without homes.  
• 60,000 buildings suffered total or partial damage. 
• 44 hospitals and more than 100 primary health care facilities were damaged, limiting the capacity to deliver health services. 
• In total, almost 10 million people were affected. 

Thanks to our generous supporters, we were able to respond quickly and effectively by releasing money from our Disaster Fund and launching the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s response to the Venezuela earthquake emergency. The appeal has now closed but the Disaster Fund remains open to donations to help support other crises around the world.

Venezuela earthquake and the Red Cross's involvement

How your donations made a difference

The Venezuelan Red Cross Society responded immediately, supporting evacuation and search and rescue efforts, assessing damage in the worst-affected areas, providing emergency first aid and taking the injured to hospital.  

The Venezuelan Red Cross's health network remains active, with eight hospitals and 34 clinics delivering vital medical care. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes, they treated people who had been trapped under rubble as well as those who were injured while trying to rescue their loved ones, neighbours and pets. Nearly 5,500 people have already received medical care from the Red Cross. 

Your donation helped support their work to reach people in need:

326 volunteers and 62 staff members of the Venezuelan Red Cross supported the emergency response. 

• The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) sent the first 17 tonnes of humanitarian aid to support the Venezuelan Red Cross’s response in the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes.
• The shipment consisted of 500 tarpaulins, 800 mosquito nets, 400 kitchen sets, 800 jerry cans, 400 family hygiene kits, 400 cleaning kits, 800 buckets, 800 blankets, 400 water filters, 1 tent, 100 thermal sleeping kits, 100 rest kits, 100 inflatable pillows, 100 folding beds, and 21 first-aid kits. 
• The IFRC sent a further 23 tonnes of aid items on 26 June, and the Movement will continue to monitor and respond to the needs of the people and communities affected. 
• A total of 150 tons of Red Cross non-food items and medicines have been dispatched to Venezuela. 
• In July 2026, the IFRC, in collaboration with the Spanish Red Cross, set up an emergency field hospital to support the existing field hospital of the Venezuelan Red Cross. The hospital can provide primary health care to 30,000 people and is fully operational.
• Mobile health clinics will also begin operating to reach affected people and help ensure healthcare access for the communities they serve.
• The Venezuelan Red Cross has received more than 2,700 Restoring Family Links search requests. A dedicated hotline has been established for people searching for their loved ones. 11 other National Societies have activated Restoring Family Links services. 

In the aftermath of the earthquakes, more than 20,000 new volunteers have registered with the Venezuelan Red Cross. 

Support for Venezuela continues

Recovery will be a long and difficult process and will take many years. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams don’t just respond in the aftermath of a disaster; they work with communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies of all kinds, and to build resilience in the face of future threats. Our global network provides this support in more than 190 countries, including Venezuela, and will continue to do so for as long as we are needed. 

How you can still make a difference

The Red Cross responds to emergencies like the Venezuela earthquake every day. You can still support our work by donating  to our Disaster Fund. 

The Disaster Fund supports people affected by disasters and emergencies around the world. 

Right now, it's supporting people in Sudan, the Middle East and last year helped those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa and the Myanmar earthquake.