Caritas Venezuela on devastating impact of the earthquakes

Image: Caritas Venezuela

Source: Caritas Venezuela

As a nation, Venezuela is once again facing a time of profound grief and hardship. On the afternoon of Wednesday 24 June, two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck the north-central and west-central regions of the country, resulting in loss of life, injuries and a scene of destruction that is still being assessed by the relevant authorities.

In light of the scale of the events, the national government has declared a State of National Emergency, due to the severe damage caused to buildings, homes and critical infrastructure in the Capital District, La Guaira and the states of Falcón, Carabobo, Yaracuy, Aragua, Miranda, Trujillo and Lara.

The images that have circulated in recent hours - collapsed buildings, displaced families, entire communities seeking refuge in the streets - remind us, once again, of the fragility of human life and the urgency of fraternal solidarity. It is at times like these, when the very earth seems to be shifting beneath our feet, that the Church is called to be a presence, a source of comfort and a force for concrete action alongside those who are suffering.

An organised response rooted in faith and service

The diocesan Cáritas organisations in the affected areas are currently gathering information and assessing the damage, work which they are continuously channelling to the national Cáritas. This task, quiet yet essential, enables us to build a true picture of the country's needs, beyond the initial impressions conveyed by social media and the news media.

From the national Cáritas structure, we are responsibly awaiting the guidance to be issued by the humanitarian coordination bodies, both within the Church and across institutions, in order to organise a response that is timely, orderly and truly based on solidarity. We know that improvisation, in the midst of an emergency of this magnitude, can cause more harm than good; that is why we emphasise the importance of acting in a coordinated manner, as Cáritas' pastoral workers and the Venezuelan people know how to do: with our feet on the ground and our hearts set on those who are suffering.

In the face of adversity, we are not alone. From the very first hours following the earthquakes, we have received numerous messages of solidarity and prayer from Cáritas organisations across Latin America and other parts of the world, which are following developments with genuine concern as the hours pass. This international fellowship is also a sign of hope: it reminds us that the Church, in its universal dimension, walks alongside the Venezuelan people at this time of sorrow.

Action plan of the Caritas network of Venezuela

From Thursday, 25 June 2026, the Cáritas Network of Venezuela, operating throughout the country, will implement the following concrete actions:

-Opening of a national collection centre. A collection centre will be set up at the headquarters of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference, located in Montalbán, where donations of drinking water, non-perishable food and essential medicines will be accepted between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm. This centre will serve as the hub for the national response to the emergency.

- Cáritas organisations across the country will open collection centres as and when necessary, in accordance with the assessment made by each diocese. Collection centres will be organised in partnership with the national private sector and the 'Voluntary Dividend for the Community' scheme, thereby strengthening a coordinated response between civil society, the business sector and the Church.

- Channels for financial contributions. Cáritas Venezuela's national and international accounts will remain open to receive monetary donations, which will be used to address the needs that our technical teams on the ground will be identifying more precisely in the coming days, as the damage assessment progresses.

- A single point of contact for public solidarity. Cáritas Venezuela is making these collection points available to the community's philanthropic initiatives, with the aim of avoiding unnecessary travel and the exposure of people of good will to areas which, at this time, pose a high risk due to damaged structures, aftershocks and unstable ground conditions.

- We join together in prayer for so many brothers and sisters who have lost their lives, their homes and their possessions during this trying time.

Our thoughts are particularly with those who, already battered by the poverty and precariousness affecting a large part of our people, now see their suffering multiplied, and look with desolation and deep despair towards a future that seems uncertain. To them we say: you are not alone. The Church, through Cáritas, walks alongside you.

We call upon all Venezuelans, both within and outside the country, and we encourage all businesses and people of goodwill to show solidarity, to come together with strength and generosity to sustain this network of solidarity, which today brings relief in moments of deep anguish. Every gesture of help, however small it may seem, becomes a tangible sign of God's closeness to his people.

May the love of our merciful God bring His peace and comfort to every Venezuelan family, and may this time of trial also become an opportunity to rediscover one another as brothers and sisters.

Cáritas Venezuela of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference Caracas

To donate to Caritas Venezuela see: https://donate.caritas.org/venezuela/