UPDATE: 28 July 2026

It has been over a month since a devastating set of twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela on 24 June 2026. There have been over 5,400 confirmed deaths, 16,700 people injured, and almost 18,000 people left without housing. Emergency shelters are at full capacity and hospital are overwhelmed, with ongoing water and electricity disruptions across the affected areas including La Guaira and Caracas.

Even before the earthquake, nearly 7.9 million people in Venezuela were in humanitarian need. The earthquakes have compounded a pre-existing crisis, leaving communities in a vulnerable state.

The greatest needs have been identified as shelter, water and hygiene, food, and protection services for displaced individuals.

So far, ADRA’s response has included:

💧 270,900L of water distributed
🧼 2,709 hygiene and water purification kits distributed
🪥 10,763 people received personal hygiene support

ADRA’s work in these first few months is assisting families at temporary shelters in Caracas and La Guaira with a particular focus on supporting families with children under the age of five. The intial response plans to reach a total of 90,000 affected individuals.

Caracas, Venezuela – 26 June 2026

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has launched an emergency response in Venezuela following the strongest earthquake recorded since 1900.

With hundreds dead, thousands injured, and millions affected, ADRA is mobilising urgent assistance, providing safe water, hygiene supplies, and emergency food to the hardest-hit families.

ADRA has activated its National Emergency Response Plan to support communities affected by the historic twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June 2026. Occurring at a depth of just 10 kilometres, the earthquakes are the most destructive recorded in the country since 1900, prompting the government to declare a State of Emergency.

“We are facing a humanitarian emergency made even more severe by the country’s existing vulnerabilities,” said Elian Giaccarini, ADRA’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Inter-American Division. “Thousands of families urgently need access to safe water, hygiene supplies, food, and temporary shelter.”

Logistical and Operational Challenges
Relief operations face significant obstacles following the complete closure of Simón Bolívar International Airport after cracks were discovered on the runway, preventing the direct arrival of international relief supplies.

Widespread power outages, the collapse of land-based telecommunications, and isolated incidents of civil unrest have further complicated response efforts. Meanwhile, response teams continue to operate under constant alert as more than 138 aftershocks have been recorded.

ADRA’s Response
As part of its initial emergency response, ADRA Venezuela activated its National Emergency Management Plan and deployed assessment teams to evaluate the most urgent humanitarian needs in the affected areas. These efforts are being carried out in close coordination with Civil Protection authorities, local governments, humanitarian organisations, and other emergency response partners.

At this stage, ADRA’s emergency intervention is focused on two primary sectors:

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

• Distribution of personal hygiene kits
• Support for access to safe drinking water
• Water purification activities
• Public health assessments in displacement sites

Food Security

• Distribution of emergency food baskets to affected families
• Priority assistance for households with children under five years of age and older adults

About ADRA
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is the global humanitarian arm of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Operating in more than 130 countries, ADRA delivers
emergency relief, promotes sustainable development, and serves vulnerable communities
regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation.