New Zealand donors help make Venezuela recovery possible

The generosity of New Zealand Red Cross supporters is helping communities in Venezuela as they move from the immediate aftermath of June’s deadly earthquakes into the longer and more complex journey of recovery. 

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck the areas around Caracas and La Guaira within a minute of each other on 24 June, leaving more than 5,500 people dead, more than 16,700 injured, and thousands still missing. 

New Zealand Red Cross supporters raised $134,000 through the Venezuela Earthquakes Emergency Appeal. These funds are being transferred to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support ongoing humanitarian response and recovery efforts, including emergency assistance, shelter, health and psychosocial support, relief supplies, and other aid where it is needed most. 

For many families in the quake-struck regions, the hardest part is not over. Safe water is still hard to access, healthcare remains disrupted, and the emotional toll of the disaster is only beginning to surface. 

Venezuelan Red Cross, supported by field teams from 11 other Red Cross National Societies, has been on the ground since the first hours after the earthquakes, standing alongside people affected by the disaster and working alongside local authorities. The response has included emergency assistance, search and rescue support, humanitarian needs assessments, and the delivery of relief to communities whose homes and routines were suddenly upended. 

How the recovery process works 

The latest IFRC update shows that the most urgent needs are now less about the visible damage and more about the challenges of living through the aftermath. Many families are still relying on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and washing, while limited access to sanitation is increasing the risk of illness. People with chronic conditions are also struggling to regain continuity of treatment, adding pressure to already stretched health services. 

The disaster has also taken a heavy emotional toll. Survivors are dealing with grief, fear, anxiety, and sleeplessness after losing loved ones, homes, livelihoods, and the sense of stability that daily life depends on. That is why the IFRC says the key priorities now are primary health care, mental health and psychosocial support, and access to safe drinking water. 

Your support continues to make a difference 

While the New Zealand Red Cross Venezuela Earthquakes Appeal has now closed, the generosity of New Zealand donors will continue to make a difference. Funds raised will contribute to the wider IFRC response, which aims to assist 300,000 people as communities recover and needs continue to evolve. 

For New Zealand Red Cross, this response is part of the wider Red Cross and Red Crescent movement that stands with communities when disaster strikes and stays with them as recovery unfolds. In Venezuela, that means helping restore access to care, water, and support systems that people need to rebuild their lives and making sure they are not facing the crisis alone.

More information

• If you are in New Zealand and have lost contact with family members in affected areas, our Restoring Family Links service may be able to help you reconnect with your loved ones.
• Find out more and submit a tracing request Find missing family overseas | New Zealand Red Cross