Published on: 2026-07-02
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
July 1, 2026 Humanitarian aid
As a result of the search operation in the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, which was the hardest hit by the disaster, a child was rescued alive from the rubble six days after the double earthquake.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people in the country remain homeless after the earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, which occurred less than a minute apart on June 24.
“As the number of fatalities rises, humanitarian needs are rapidly increasing,” stated the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). According to Venezuelan authorities, nearly two thousand deaths have been confirmed, and more than 6,400 people have been rescued from the debris.
UN Reaction
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered a significant amount of humanitarian supplies for one hundred thousand people for the next three months. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is organizing temporary shelter for those affected. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating the work of dozens of international rescue teams.
Several UN agencies and their partners continue to work in the most affected areas in cooperation with local authorities and humanitarian organizations, helping families obtain temporary shelter, medical assistance, social protection, and other vital services.
“Every life matters,” emphasized the UKHF on Wednesday, noting that national and international search and rescue teams continue working in La Guaira.
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team is helping to assess the needs of those affected by the disaster in order to determine where and to whom humanitarian aid is needed first. According to Venezuelan authorities, about a thousand buildings have been damaged or completely destroyed in the country, including hospitals, as well as more than 400 schools and water supply systems.
In response to the emergency, the first batch of UNICEF humanitarian aid weighing 47 tons arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday. This shipment complements the cargo that arrived from Panama on June 28. Together, this aid will support more than one hundred thousand children and their families for three months.
Call for emergency funding
“UNICEF is working around the clock to help as many children and their parents as possible,” said UNICEF representative Gabriel Wokel, speaking in La Guaira. “We urge people to donate to UNICEF because, with additional funds, we will be able to save more lives, help more children, and reach as many families as possible.”
The delivery of humanitarian cargo, organized with the assistance of the European Union through the UNICEF logistics hub in Copenhagen, includes emergency medical aid kits, supplies for safe childbirth, newborn care, as well as for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
In addition, supplies for water purification and storage, tents, and wheelchairs have been delivered to Venezuela. Play and educational materials are intended to help children continue their education.
“Families in the affected states are in urgent need of safe water and access to medical care,” said Roberto Bénes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Many are now sleeping outdoors, fearing new tremors. These supplies will help provide children and their families with what they critically need right now… But local needs far exceed the amount already delivered.”
Risk of aftershocks
According to the agency’s estimates, approximately 680,000 children in six states affected by the earthquakes are in need of humanitarian aid.
“Communities remain at risk due to ongoing repeated shocks, the number of which has already exceeded six hundred,” UNICEF noted.
According to UNICEF, $52 million is required to respond to the emergency in Venezuela. This amount is included in a broader humanitarian assistance plan for children in Venezuela for 2026, with a total budget of $137.6 million. Before the earthquakes, this plan was funded at only 35 percent.
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