A pair of devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela back-to-back on Wednesday night, bringing down buildings, claiming hundreds of lives, and leaving thousands of people unaccounted for across the northern region of the country. Officials fear the death toll will climb even higher.
In response, governments, nonprofit organizations, and members of the Venezuelan diaspora worldwide have begun mobilizing relief efforts following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes. Their focus is on locating the missing and delivering medical care and humanitarian assistance to the many thousands who have been injured or displaced.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the most urgent needs include search and rescue operations, emergency housing for displaced families, emergency medical attention, and eventually access to clean water and sanitation.
Michael Capponi, president of Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), noted that aid organizations will face significant hurdles, including airport closures and the need for expedited visas for relief workers. “No single organization can meet all the needs alone,” he said. “Collaboration across governments and NGOs is critical to ensuring we cover all ground efficiently and swiftly.”
The nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator advises donors to protect themselves from fraudulent campaigns by confirming that any organization they support has a track record of working on this type of disaster and in this region, and that it holds 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Charity Navigator has also released its own curated list of vetted organizations assisting Venezuela.
Below are several organizations currently responding that you can support:
Global Empowerment Mission: This humanitarian relief organization, based in Doral, Florida, is teaming up with its longtime nonprofit partner, the We Love Foundation. GEM began immediately packing food, water, hygiene products, medical supplies, and other emergency essentials for shipment Thursday to Caracas, where it has established a distribution hub. The organization has previously responded to crises in Venezuela, including in 2018 and 2019.
CORE: This humanitarian nonprofit is sending staff and partnering with The Wayuu Taya Foundation, which supports Indigenous Wayuu communities in Venezuela and Colombia and already has people on the ground in Caracas. Together, they plan to distribute cash assistance to affected families along with food, drinking water, hygiene kits, and other essential supplies. CORE was originally established following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Direct Relief: Based in California, this medical humanitarian organization is funding the deployment of a team from Spanish Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (BUSF) to support search-and-rescue operations. It is also prepared to ship medical supplies to local healthcare partners as the need arises. Direct Relief has responded to multiple earthquake disasters, including the 2023 disaster in Syria and Turkey.
International Red Cross: Although the Venezuelan Red Cross’ own national headquarters suffered damage, its countrywide network of hospitals and clinics remains operational and continues providing care. Rescue teams are supporting evacuation and search efforts and mobilizing pre-positioned relief supplies. Red Cross Societies in Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Argentina — nations home to large Venezuelan communities — have activated services to help people reconnect with loved ones.
Airlink: This global humanitarian organization specializes in coordinating transportation and logistics for nonprofits sending relief and personnel to disaster zones worldwide. It is working to mobilize airlines and logistics companies to deliver search-and-rescue teams, medical responders, and supplies such as medicines, water filters, and food to Venezuela.
World Central Kitchen: The nonprofit founded by Chef José Andrés is mobilizing to provide hot meals to affected families and first responders as quickly as possible. The organization has led multiple relief efforts in Venezuela, most recently in 2024 when families in the state of Sucre were displaced by Hurricane Beryl.
Catholic Relief Services: The international aid arm of the U.S. Catholic Church is working alongside local partner Caritas Venezuela to provide emergency shelter, food, water, and medical care to impacted families.
Global Impact: This philanthropy adviser and intermediary has created a Venezuela Earthquakes Response fund that will channel donations to multiple vetted organizations, including UNICEF USA and Save the Children.
