What is happening in Venezuela?
Two powerful 7.2–7.5 magnitude earthquakes have hit Venezuela in the province of Yaracuy on Tuesday 24 June at 6:04pm local time.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near San Felipe, the capital of the state of Yaracuy. Just 39 seconds later a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck near the town of Yumare, within 5 to 10km from the first one. The US Geological Survey (USGS) refer to this as a “doublet”.
Reports show that at least 164 people have been killed and over 970 injured.
Tremors were felt as far away as Bogotá in Colombia, more than 1,000km away. More than 20 aftershocks have since been recorded across Venezuela, largely affecting the northern coastline.
Around 770,000 people live within 50km of the epicentre and 4.4 million people live within 100km.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Initial reports show significant damage to buildings, businesses and key infrastructure, including airports, as well as power outages.
The extensive damage caused has raised concerns over displacement, shelter needs and infrastructure impacts.
Tens of thousands of people are likely to require emergency shelter and essential items. There may also be a need for longer-term shelter and recovery support.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, and humanitarian organisations are closely monitoring the situation.
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How is ShelterBox responding?
Our team is working with partners in Venezuela to understand more about the situation and identify the type of support that may be required.
ShelterBox has been carrying out preparedness and partner scoping in the region in recent months, meaning that we are in a strong position to respond if needed. We also have aid pre-positioned in Barbados and Panama, ready for emergencies like this.
The team is also drawing on experience from similar large-scale disasters, including responses in Türkiye in 2023, when ShelterBox provided shelter kits, blankets and other aid to disaster affected people.
Has ShelterBox responded in the Venezuela before?
We have responded to similar disasters in the region, including Hurricane Beryl in 2024, which caused severe damage in Grenada.
Thanks to pre-positioned supplies in Panama and strong local partnerships, we were able to respond rapidly with aid including tents, cooking sets, solar lights and mosquito nets.
We store aid in strategic locations around the world to ensure we are ready to respond before a disaster happens.
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How to support people after disaster
Our team is assessing the situation in Venezuela and preparing to respond. As needs become clearer, we will adapt our support to reach the most affected communities.
Drawing on our experience, we are ready to provide emergency shelter and essential items to help people stay safe and begin to recover.
Your support enables us to respond quickly when disasters strike and provide emergency shelter to the people who need it most – in Venezuela and around the world.
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For all your questions about who we are, the cost of our aid items and other general information please read our FAQs.
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Cheques can be sent by post to: ShelterBox Australia, PO Box 6625, Norwest, NSW, 2153
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Our bank details are: ShelterBox Australia, Bendigo Bank, BSB 633 000, account no. 166 780 163. Please email [email protected] to notify us of your donation.