In Venezuela, the death toll from the earthquake continues to rise. The confirmed death count has reached at least 235, while approximately 4,300 people have been injured.
But the figure that best reflects the anguish of these hours concerns those who are missing: according to initial estimates, at least 50,000 people are still buried under the rubble or in inaccessible areas. This number continues to rise as new reports come in from family members and loved ones.
These are hours of waiting, fear, and pain. Thousands of people are still searching for their loved ones, while entire families suddenly find themselves without a home, without basic necessities, and with no points of reference. For those who survived, the earthquake left behind more than just the rubble of homes and buildings: it brought with it shock, disorientation, fear, and the trauma of having lost everything in a matter of moments.
Making the situation even more difficult is the isolation of many communities. In several regions, cellphone service is either nonexistent or very unstable: communicating, asking for help, receiving information, or locating relatives and friends has become nearly impossible. For many families, there is absolute uncertainty: they don’t know where to go, they don’t know if their loved ones are safe, and they don’t know when they’ll be able to receive help.
The most affected areas are among the most populated and strategically important in Venezuela. The damage in these areas risks having very serious consequences for national transportation, supply chains, and the continuation of essential public services.
The earthquake has struck a country already in the midst of a deep crisis. Even before the earthquake, nearly 8 million people in Venezuela needed humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. Years of economic crisis have weakened families, reduced access to food, healthcare, safe water, and essential goods. Public infrastructure, power grids, water systems, health facilities, and road networks were also already fragile.
In this context, a disaster of this scale could have even more devastating effects. Recovery could be slow and complex, while the risk of more and more families relying on humanitarian assistance to survive is growing.
Of particular concern are the most vulnerable: women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and displaced families. At least 70,000 families are reported to have been forced to leave their home. Nearly 4 million children live in the areas affected by the earthquake, exposed not only to physical risks related to building collapses and a lack of services, but also to a severe emotional and psychological impact.
For many children, the earthquake means witnessing the collapse of their homes, losing family members or friends, not knowing where they will sleep the following night. Aftershocks, which are still ongoing, continue to fuel fear and insecurity.
Adding to the fear of the tremors is a growing climate of tension and insecurity. In some areas, looting has been reported at supermarkets, shops and houses. People are taking whatever they can: food, basic necessities, but also refrigerators, kitchens and furniture loaded onto motorcycles or makeshift vehicles. This is the sign of a population at its wits’ end and an increasingly fragile situation, where those who have lost everything risk being even more exposed, alone and vulnerable.
The most urgent needs include emergency healthcare, support for search and rescue operations, the distribution of basic necessities, access to safe water and sanitation, temporary shelter for displaced families, the distribution of non-food items, and psychological first aid for the most affected ones.
CESVI staff present in the country took action from the very early hours to assess needs and organize the emergency response. In Caracas, where access is currently most feasible, CESVI has already begun organizing the distribution of food and essential supplies to affected families.
The hardest-hit areas, particularly La Guaira, remain extremely difficult to reach. Roads, bridges, and tunnels are damaged or unusable, complicating the delivery of aid and slowing down rescue operations.
«An additional CESVI Emergency team is leaving Italy to reach Venezuela» reports Marcelo Garcia Dalla Costa, Head of International Programs at CESVI. «Unfortunately, the Caracas Airport is unusable: to enter the country, we’ll first have to travel to Colombia and then cross the border by land. From a logistical standpoint, reaching the most affected areas is becoming extremely difficult».
In the initial phase of the emergency, CESVI — who has been present in the country since 2002 — will focus its efforts on providing immediate assistance to the hardest-hit and most vulnerable families, through the distribution of essential goods, vouchers for the purchase of food, water, shelter materials, and other emergency goods. This approach allows families to respond quickly and with dignity to their most urgent needs, while at the same time supporting still-functioning local economies.
Psychological support and psychological first aid interventions will also be implemented for those most exposed to the emergency, with a particular focus on children, women, the elderly, and families who have lost their homes or loved ones. In these contexts, psychosocial support becomes a fundamental part of the humanitarian response: helping people manage the shock, recognizing the signs of trauma, protecting children, and guiding families during the first days after the emergency is just as essential as providing food, water, and shelter.
Aftershocks remain a real risk. They could cause further damage to buildings and infrastructure that are already compromised, further complicate rescue operations, and increase the dangers for the population and emergency responders. In this phase, every hour is crucial.
For those who have lost everything, immediate aid can mean a lot: a meal, safe water, an essential amenities kit, temporary shelter, a preliminary form of protection. It can mean knowing that they are not alone, even in the most difficult moment.
CESVI operators are already at work in Venezuela, but to strengthen our response, reach the most affected areas, and increase the number of families assisted we need everyone’s support.
Donate now and stand with the Venezuelan people affected by the earthquake.
Together, we can provide concrete aid to those who, in just a few hours, have lost their home, their belongings, and their safety. And help Venezuelan families take the first step back on their feet.
