Trigger Warning: this article contains content addressing natural disasters and sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs help call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673
More than 1,700 people have died after two powerful earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela’s northern coast just 39 seconds apart near La Guaira, on the outskirts of Caracas, on June 24. According to the United Nations, roughly 5,000 have been injured, and an estimated 12,000 people have been displaced following the strongest seismic event to hit the country in more than 125 years.
The destruction has left entire neighborhoods in ruins and survivors struggling to access food, clean water, medical care and safe shelter. The disaster has also deepened an already fragile humanitarian crisis after years of economic and political instability forced millions of Venezuelans to flee the country.
One of the organizations helping lead the humanitarian response is Atlanta-based NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) CARE, which is working alongside long-standing local partners in Venezuela to deliver emergency aid. CARE’s response focuses on hygiene and dignity kits, clean water distribution, emergency meals, food baskets, primary healthcare, temporary shelter, psychosocial support and protection services for women and girls.
“What we’re seeing is a very devastating picture,” said Camille Davis, CARE’s Global Humanitarian Director. “This was a rapid-onset crisis. We’re looking at widespread destruction and trauma for the populations affected.”
CARE is partnering with Uniandes A.C., Grupo Social CESAP and Tinta Violeta, organizations that have decades of experience serving communities across Venezuela. Tinta Violeta has established support sites in some of the hardest-hit communities, where staff are distributing hygiene supplies, providing psychological first aid and assisting survivors of gender-based violence. Within the first 72 hours of operating in displacement shelters, the organization identified 22 cases of sexual violence, highlighting the increased risks women and girls often face following disasters.
“After being in La Guaira, the situation is much more dire than we initially thought,” said Daniella Inojosa, executive director of Tinta Violeta. “The destruction is total. It doesn’t even look like there was ever a city there.”
CARE’s partners say the most urgent needs include safe shelter, food, clean water and sanitation, emergency medical care, mental health services, protection for unaccompanied children and safe spaces where women and girls can receive counseling and other support. Grupo Social CESAP, a network of 19 Venezuelan civil society organizations, is operating a community kitchen in La Guaira that provides hot meals for displaced families, while Tinta Violeta also operates a free hotline offering emotional support and guidance for families coping with trauma.
CARE has worked alongside its Venezuelan partners since 2018.
“They know these communities, understand their needs, and are best placed to lead the response,” said Ana Maria Mendez, CARE’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Davis said CARE’s approach allows trusted local organizations to lead the response while CARE provides funding, technical expertise and long-term support.
“We are with communities before, during and after,” Davis said. “A donation to CARE doesn’t just go to providing hot meals for a week. We are with communities for the duration of the response, the recovery and the rebuilding stages.”
CARE is encouraging Atlantans to support the response through donations. Contributions help provide emergency food, clean water, shelter materials, hygiene supplies, medical care and protection services while also supporting the months and likely years of rebuilding that will follow long after the immediate disaster fades from the headlines.
