Soon after two intense earthquakes occurred just seconds apart along the northern coast of Venezuela on Wednesday, a national emergency was declared in the South American nation. As the death toll has climbed past 900, emergency rescue teams have gone searching through rubble to help thousands of injured people and attempt to locate the many missing.
The threat of aftershocks set in soon after the original seismic activity in Venezuela, with a resident of Chacao, a municipality on the outskirts of Caracas, telling Al Jazeera of the hours immediately following the earthquakes: “I stayed out on the street until three in the morning because I would leave my home whenever aftershocks hit. People were having nervous breakdowns and crying.”
Below, find a roundup of ways to help those dealing with the catastrophic impact of Venezuela’s 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude quakes:
This long-serving nonprofit’s on-the-ground medical team has already coordinated a donation of emergency trauma kits for approximately 200 patients to José María Vargas Hospital in La Guaira. Further donations will be used to provide lifesaving medical care in Venezuela.
The International Rescue Committee, which has been operating in Venezuela since 2021, is currently working to fill the gap caused by decreased global humanitarian funding by providing lifesaving health care, nutritional assistance, and other emergency support in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
Spanish American chef and restaurateur José Andrés’s nonprofit works to help those in urgent need all over the world, from Ukraine to Lebanon to Palestine. It’s currently mobilizing to provide meals to earthquake survivors and emergency rescue teams as they fight to save lives and reunite families on the ground in Venezuela.
Emergency travel help for responders and coordination of aid supplies via Airlink
Simón Bolívar International Airport has temporarily paused flights into Venezuela due to damage caused to the airport by the earthquakes, so this nonprofit is helping to bring emergency responders to the country, along with the urgently needed relief supplies that can help treat injuries and save lives in Venezuela.
Donating to GiveDirectly is a great way to help survivors of the earthquakes in Venezuela instantly access the money they need for food, water, medicine, temporary housing, and other essentials.