UNHCR rushing to support Venezuela after deadly earthquakes

GENEVA - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is scrambling staff and resources to respond to the effects of the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela late Wednesday, causing widespread destruction and leaving thousands in urgent need of assistance.

The Government's response is still focused on search-and-rescue operations, emergency medical care and damage assessment. UNHCR is ready to support the response, with UN partners, and is mobilizing assistance and triaging available emergency supplies to meet emerging needs.

The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, mostly affected the Caracas capital district and the states of Miranda, Carabobo, Yaracuy and La Guaira. Early reports by the President of the National Assembly indicate 188 people died, 1,520 were wounded, 157 are missing, with over 200 still trapped under rubble, and 2,927 people affected. Figures are being continuously updated and could be significantly higher than those reported so far.

The Government has declared a state of emergency, including evacuation measures, suspension of some services and the mobilization of health and rescue teams. Damage has been reported to homes and essential public infrastructure and services, including eight hospitals, with assessments ongoing. The Simón Bolívar International Airport sustained significant damage, and all flights have been suspended or cancelled.

The quakes look set to significantly exacerbate existing protection risks for vulnerable people across the country, including refugees, returnees and others. As the lead of the humanitarian protection cluster, UNHCR is working closely with authorities and humanitarian partners to assess needs and gaps in affected areas and coordinate a timely, effective and complementary response across all relevant groups.

UNHCR is particularly concerned about the impact on returnees, who were already facing reintegration challenges before the disaster. Authorities in La Guaira reported the collapse of a temporary accommodation centre hosting approximately 140 returnees who had recently arrived on a flight from the US. Search and rescue operations remain ongoing.

In Venezuela, UNHCR works with refugees, asylum-seekers and other people of concern, as well as those returning to the country after spells abroad. At the end of 2025, Venezuela hosted more than 210,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and other people of concern to UNHCR. In addition, 6.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants were hosted in Latin America and the Caribbean, including 4 million in need of assistance.

A UNHCR survey this spring of some 1,300 Venezuelans living outside their country in the region found one third indicated a possible intention to return home, with 9 per cent considering it within a year. The primary motivation cited was family reunification.

UNHCR Venezuela's 2026 financial requirements before the quake amounted to $44.7 million, of which 11 per cent had been funded. Timely and flexible support is essential to help UNHCR maintain protection activities and support people affected by displacement as needs evolve following the earthquakes.

For more information, please contact:

• In Geneva, Matthew Saltmarsh, [email protected], +41 79 967 99 36
• In Panama City, Stefano Zanfardino, [email protected], +507 6979-6818