Venezuela
Earthquake
Appeal
Venezuela
Earthquake Appeal
Two catastrophic earthquakes have hit Venezuela. Buildings were reduced to rubble in minutes. Now the survivors urgently need support. Please donate now.
Volunteers search for survivors in a collapsed building following the twin earthquakes in La Guaira state, Venezuela. Photo: Federico Parra / AFP via Getty Images
Key facts
3,800 people
killed in the earthquake with the death toll continuing to rise
680,000 children
in need of humanitarian assistance according to UN estimates
16,700 people
injured, with tens of thousands more missing
96,000 buildings
are believed to have been damaged or destroyed
Latest update: 9 July 2026, 17:30
The earthquakes struck within seconds of each other. The scale of destruction is catastrophic. Hundreds of people have been killed and the death toll continues to rise.
The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck close to Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas. The second earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. Venezuela’s authorities have declared a state of emergency.
Thousands of people are injured, and the country’s hospitals are under extreme pressure. The UN estimates that millions of people have been affected, with more than two million in the worst impacted areas.
The earthquakes caused damage to homes and businesses in Caracas and across several states, with particularly serious impact reported in the La Guaira and Greater Caracas areas. Families are sleeping in makeshift tents on the street, with little protection from the heat and rain. Power lines and roads have been destroyed, and people are cut off from essential supplies.
Adjoa Andoh MBE, actor and International Rescue Committee ambassador, presents the BBC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal on 1 July 2026
How can I help people in Venezuela?
DEC charities are working with their local partners to reach people with emergency shelter, food, water and medical care.
- £10 could provide essential hygiene supplies to a family to prevent illness
- £50 could help provide emergency food support to two families for a week
- £100 could provide shelter kits for six families whose homes have been destroyed
Your support can be a lifeline for families affected by this devastating disaster. Venezuela was already facing a severe economic crisis before the earthquakes. The needs are now overwhelming.
Latest News
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Appeal raises over £10m as s His Majesty The King donates
7 July 2026
His Majesty The King with Saleh Saeed and Dr Unni Krishnan Credit: Andrew Aitchison
The UK public have rallied together in support of the DEC's Venezuela Earthquake Appeal, which has now raised over £10m, and includes a donation from His Majesty The King.
As a long-standing supporter of the DEC, The King has over time shown a keen interest in the humanitarian work of DEC member charities.
On the ground in Venezuela, DEC charities are working with local partners, who have been embedded within communities for many years and were among the first to respond following the devastating earthquakes.
DEC thanks generous UK public after the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal reaches £7 million
2 July 2026
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has raised over £7 million so far for the appeal which launched yesterday. The money will be used for urgent medical supplies, food packages, water and shelter.
The fundraising announcement comes after nationwide television and radio appeals fronted by actor and International Rescue Committee Ambassador Adjoa Andoh MBE and Sir Michael aired yesterday – including one played before the England World Cup football game against the DRC.
The total includes £2 million matched by the UK Government through its UK Aid Match scheme, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs, as well as £250,000 from the Scottish Government and £50,000 from the Welsh Government.
ITV DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal film
1 July 2026
BBC DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal with Adjoa Andoh
1 July 2026
ITV News: UN warns of 'extreme pressure' on Venezuelan hospitals as aid appeal launched
1 July 2026
ITV News today announced the launch o0f the DEC appeal.
As well as the launch, focus on damaged and understaffed hospitals are becoming overwhelmed by injured patients, whilst infectious diseases spread in the disaster zone.
The article notes the Venezuelan healthcare system, strained by decades of underinvestment and years of economic crisis is "under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond the capacity of the surge of the trauma cases," according to spokesperson Christian Lindmeier at a media briefing in Geneva.
BBC News: UK charities launch Venezuela earthquakes appeal
1 July 2026
BBC News Online today announced the launch of the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal.
The story includes a quote from Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the money raised by the appeal would be matched by the government up to £2m.
"The people of Venezuela desperately need urgent humanitarian support from across the globe," she said.
DEC launches Venezuela Earthquake Appeal
1 July 2026
Today (Wed 1 July) the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is launching an urgent appeal to raise funds to reach people affected by the catastrophic earthquakes in Venezuela.
Saleh Saeed, DEC chief executive said: “Thousands of people in Venezuela have survived the unimaginable horror of two devastating earthquakes only to face the trauma of missing loved ones and finding their homes and neighborhoods destroyed.
“DEC charities are working around the clock with their local partners to reach people. The needs are overwhelming and the British public’s support could be a lifeline for families affected by this devastating disaster. Please donate now.”
Every pound donated by the British public will be matched by the UK Government through its UK Aid Match scheme, up to the value of £2 million.
All donations will go to the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal. Income earned on funds held (such as bank interest) may be used to fund the whole of the DEC's work.