Israel is preparing to send an aid delegation to Venezuela following powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24, 2026. The Israeli Foreign Ministry is conducting a situation assessment with relevant authorities as it examines options for assistance.

Venezuela declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes, which occurred on Wednesday evening. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez reported that buildings collapsed in several states, including Caracas. The Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, La Guaira, closed due to damage.

Israel's Health Ministry is preparing to send a medical aid delegation including medical, logistics, and emergency response teams, pending coordination with and approval from the Foreign Ministry. Additionally, IsraAID confirmed it is deploying an emergency response team to Venezuela, which will include specialists from the organization's mission in Colombia and its global Emergency Response Team. Staff will focus on mental health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and rapid needs assessment.

KKL-JNF is preparing to provide aid totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels to Venezuela's Jewish communities. KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky spoke with Roberto Mishkin, a senior leader of the Jewish community in Venezuela, and KKL-JNF Venezuela's CEO. Ostrinsky stated, "KKL is committed to Jewish communities in the diaspora, which are an inseparable part of us both in routine times and in emergencies. Just as we were there during Operation Roaring Lion system in Beit Shemesh, Beersheba, Dimona, and Arad with communities that suffered severe damage and extreme upheaval, so we will be there for our brothers in Venezuela in their time of need."

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck approximately 176 km west of Caracas on Thursday, June 25, at around 6:04 p.m. local time, with a depth of 20.3 km. Less than a minute later, a magnitude 7.5 tremor occurred, with its epicenter located about 6.2 km east of the prior quake and approximately 33 km from Morón. This second tremor was the strongest to affect Venezuela or its immediate coastal area in over a century, according to the USGS catalog.

Other international support offers include El Salvador President Nayib Bukele offering assistance to Venezuela, potentially including 300 rescuers and paramedics, along with 50 tons of equipment, medicines, and essential supplies. Brazil President Lula stated, "I reaffirm our determination to support the government of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez in the recovery of affected areas of this sister nation, whose people have given proof of great resilience in the face of adversities." Rodríguez thanked Trump for offering support and solidarity.

Why It Matters

The recent earthquakes in Venezuela have prompted international aid efforts as the country faces damage and humanitarian needs. Venezuela lies in a seismically active zone where the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate converge. Historical records indicate that a magnitude 7.7 quake affected Venezuela in 1900, with an epicenter near the Caribbean coast, causing 21 deaths and over 50 injuries, and an earlier 1812 Caracas quake claimed an estimated 30,000 lives. United Nations figures from 2024 indicate that nearly eight in 10 Venezuelans live in poverty, contributing to the vulnerability of the population following a natural disaster.