Venezuela Earthquakes: Children's Emergency Fund

Thousands of children are at risk after powerful earthquakes struck densely populated areas of Venezuela. Children and families urgently need lifesaving support as essential services collapse and humanitarian needs rise rapidly.

Damage has been widespread, with destroyed homes, collapsed buildings, and critical infrastructure failures, including the closure of the main international airport and disruptions to transport systems.

Children have been injured or have lost family members, homes, and belongings. Schools remain closed, with some converted into emergency shelters, disrupting children’s learning and routines. At the same time, family separation, overcrowded shelters, and limited access to healthcare, clean water, and food are increasing risks of violence, exploitation, illness, and hunger.

HOW WE’RE RESPONDING
Save the Children is providing urgent humanitarian assistance, releasing emergency funding and mobilizing teams and partners on the ground. We have already initiated lifesaving activities within 24 hours and are working with local partners to deliver a coordinated, child-focused response to the most affected children and families in Caracas and La Guaira.

The scale of destruction, combined with preexisting vulnerabilities, means recovery will be long and complex. Save the Children, together with local partners and international surge support, is responding, with initial efforts focused on La Guaira, Catia La Mar, and the worst-affected parts of Caracas.

We aim to reach 350,000 people, including 200,000 children. We’re urgently scaling up humanitarian assistance across the following areas:

HEALTH AND NUTRITION
• Through local partners, we’re delivering primary healthcare services to injured children, pregnant women, and families in affected communities
• Supporting overstretched health facilities with supplies, coordination, and technical assistance
• Addressing critical shortages of medicines, equipment, and electricity impacting service delivery
• Monitoring and responding to nutrition risks, especially among infants and young children

EDUCATION
• Supporting a safe return to learning as conditions allow, including rehabilitation of learning spaces
• Providing teacher training in psychosocial support, grief, and trauma management
• Enabling alternative learning opportunities where schools remain closed
• Promoting child-friendly information and awareness to help children stay safe CHILD

PROTECTION AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT
• Establishing safe spaces where children can access structured support and protection services
• Delivering mental health and psychosocial support to help children cope with trauma
• Preventing family separation, violence, and exploitation risks, while supporting family tracing and reunification services
• Implementing integrated child-focused activities such as our WeThrive program for recovery and resilience

FOOD SECURITY AND WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE
• Delivering ready-to-eat food packages
• Supporting access to safe water in communities affected by infrastructure damage
• Promoting hygiene practices and disease prevention in overcrowded shelters
• Addressing risks from damaged water systems and sanitation facilities, which can increase disease outbreaks
• Coordinating with partners to restore essential water and sanitation services

Please consider supportiing our Children's Emergency Fund to help us reach children and families affected by disasters around the world, like the Venezuelan Earthquakes.