LA GUAIRA — Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, prompting the United Nations to launch an appeal for approximately $300 million to assist 1.3 million people. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the earthquakes injured at least 16,740 people and that 6,462 people have been rescued.

Venezuelan officials reported 190 buildings collapsed and 856 others were damaged. The government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez estimated that the earthquakes left about 18,000 people without a home. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimated the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at around $37 billion.

Doctors in Catia La Mar observed an increase in skin conditions and diarrheal diseases following the earthquakes. They also reported an increase in requests for medications for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Tom Fletcher, U.N. relief chief, stated, "It is clear at displacement sites that, particularly after two weeks, that people are turning up because they haven't been able to get their other treatments." He added, "So, they're not turning up with just the fractures now, they're turning up with those longer-term health needs."

Mobile kitchens, clinics, and field hospitals have been established in public spaces in the state of La Guaira, where displaced people are residing in schools, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and other public spaces. Fletcher affirmed that $296 million is required to reach 1.3 million people over the next six months and confirmed that the United States has provided most of the earthquake-response aid to date. He held a virtual briefing from Caracas with representatives from the U.N., Brazil, Türkiye, the United States, Venezuela, and the European Commission, stating, "As we transition from the emergency effort to a wider response, it is essential we have one coordinated plan."