The strongest earthquakes in more than a century rattled northcentral Venezuela in the early evening on June 24, 2026.
Preliminary reports indicate that the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude tremors:
The death toll may rise over the next few days.
Nearly 7 million people could be affected by the quakes, according to the United Nations. Americares is preparing to send medications and medical supplies to help meet urgent health needs.
We’re in contact with local organizations and are coordinating our response with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other disaster response organizations.
Immediate priorities in Venezuela include:
Venezuela’s health system had already been weakened by a long humanitarian crisis, according to PAHO. They saw shortages of supplies, medical staff, and diagnostic and imaging services, as well as frequent power outages. Both vaccine-preventable and mosquito-borne illnesses have been on the rise.
The quakes could be felt across much of the country, including the capital of Caracas, La Guaira, Aragua, Carabobo and neighboring states. Significant aftershocks are expected, posing additional risks to affected communities and emergency responders.
The Venezuelan government has declared a state of emergency. Search and rescue operations have been activated, and rapid damage assessments are underway.
Power and telecommunications interruptions have been reported. There’s been critical damage to essential social infrastructure, including the airport and hospitals, while public services are intermittent or completely disrupted.
Press Release: Americares Responds to Venezuela Earthquakes