Here's How the Red Cross Is Helping in the Earthquakes in Venezuela
The Red Cross is providing aid following the earthquakes in Venezuela
We will be updating this page with the latest information about our aid work.
How can I help?
- You can help by donating online or
- by MobilePay to the number 61209
- Donate by SMS
- Send the text message SPR40 to the number 16499 (€40)
- Send the text message SPR20 to the number 16499 (€20)
- Donate as a bank transfer to bank account OP FI52 5000 0120 4156 73, OKOYFIHH. Recipient: Finnish Red Cross. Reference number: 6729
- You can also start your own digital fundraising campaign.
Help is needed in Venezuela
Two exceptionally powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on the evening of Wednesday 24 June. in Venezuela are causing immense suffering. The earthquakes are the strongest in the region in over a hundred years: the magnitudes of the two quakes were 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale.
The scale of destruction is vast: homes and buildings have collapsed into ruins. Health services have been affected, and electricity, transport and communication networks have been damaged.
“In addition to operating a clinic and supporting urban search and rescue efforts, Red Cross teams are providing first aid, psychosocial support and sanitation services, among other forms of assistance.”
(8 July 2026)
Aid worker and physician Aino Pennanen sends greetings from La Guaira, Venezuela, where she is part of the aid operation led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
‘Our emergency response unit includes, in addition to myself, Raquel and Fatima from the Spanish Red Cross, Meyer from the Colombian Red Cross and Johannes from the IFRC.’
The health-focused emergency response unit has been on the ground in Venezuela assessing healthcare needs and helping prepare for the arrival of a Spanish Red Cross health clinic in the affected area.
‘In the initial phase after the earthquakes, the urban search and rescue and first response teams deployed to the area have either left or are preparing to leave the country. A Spanish Red Cross primary healthcare clinic arrived last weekend to support the response. Plans are also underway to launch mobile clinic services that will provide primary healthcare and psychosocial support in areas where such services are limited or unavailable,’ Pennanen says.
‘Here in La Guaira, teams from the Venezuelan, Spanish, Aruban, Costa Rican, Colombian and Hellenic Red Cross Societies, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross, are supporting the response. In addition to operating a clinic and supporting urban search and rescue efforts, teams are providing first aid, psychosocial support, safe water, sanitation services and telecommunications, among other forms of assistance.’
Greetings from a doctor working in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ emergency operation
(6 July 2026)
Our aid worker, doctor Aino Pennanen, sends greetings from Venezuela, where she is taking part in the emergency operation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), supporting people affected by the devastating earthquakes.
‘Several local and international urban search and rescue teams have taken part in the rescue efforts here. Some of the international teams have already returned home and donated items they brought with them to the Red Cross, including tents, food supplies, medicines, medical equipment and generators,’ Pennanen says.
Finnish Red Cross allocates €500,000 from its Disaster Relief Fund to support people affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela
(3 July 2026)
The Finnish Red Cross is allocating €500,000 from its Disaster Relief Fund to support people affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela.
The funding will be channelled through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) emergency operation to support the humanitarian response of the Venezuelan Red Cross.
The Venezuelan Red Cross has been involved in search, rescue and evacuation efforts, deployed assessment teams to the worst-affected areas, distributed relief supplies, and provided shelter and healthcare services.
Hospitals and clinics operated by the Venezuelan Red Cross are treating injured people, even as the organisation itself has sustained damage and is working to ensure the safety of its staff.
‘Search and rescue operations are still ongoing. At the same time, it is crucial to provide emergency shelter for people who have lost their homes and to ensure access to urgent healthcare, including treatment for injuries and mental health support. Clean water, sanitation and essential household items will also become critical needs very quickly,’ says Eero Rämö, Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross.
In addition to emergency shelter and healthcare, the operation provides mental health and psychosocial support for people affected by the earthquakes, access to clean water and sanitation services, essential relief items, and cash assistance. Families are also being helped to reconnect after the disaster, and protection services are being provided to those in need.
The Finnish Red Cross Emergency Operations Unit is closely monitoring the IFRC operation and stands ready to increase its support in the weeks and months ahead.
The earthquakes have affected millions of people
(2 July 2026)
People have lost loved ones, homes and their sense of safety following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Humanitarian needs in the country are immense.
In the video, Susana Arroyo Barrantes, Communications Manager for IFRC Americas, shares insights from her visit to a Red Cross field hospital in La Guaira at the end of June.
Red Cross staff and volunteers are working around the clock, providing emergency medical care, psychosocial support and other lifesaving assistance.
The earthquakes have caused widespread destruction, particularly in the capital Caracas and in the La Guaira region. An estimated 95 per cent of La Guaira’s infrastructure has been affected.
The Venezuelan Red Cross is supporting people affected by the disaster with the assistance of the IFRC and Red Cross National Societies from neighbouring countries.
The Finnish Red Cross has deployed its first aid worker to support the IFRC operation. We stand ready to provide relief supplies and deploy additional humanitarian experts if needed.
Finnish Red Cross deploys its first aid worker to Venezuela
(29 June 2026)
The Finnish Red Cross has deployed its first aid worker to Venezuela to support people affected by the earthquakes.
Aino Pennanen, a medical doctor, is part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) operation. Her current role is to assess the need for healthcare services and medical support in the country.
Read the full Yle interview (in Finnish) with Toni Jokinen, Head of International Aid Support and Coordination at the Finnish Red Cross.
The Finnish Red Cross is prepared to dispatch emergency aid
(25.6.2026)
‘The exact extent of the need for assistance is still unclear, but in the initial stages the focus is on rescue and first aid, temporary accommodation, as well as ensuring basic services such as water and healthcare. The death toll continues to rise, and it is now vital to locate and rescue the survivors,’ says Toni Jokinen, Head of International Aid Support and Coordination Unit at the Finnish Red Cross.
According to Jokinen, the top priority after an earthquake is to rescue any survivors from the rubble.
‘Those who survived the earthquake have been forced to flee their homes or have lost their homes and possessions. It is vital to ensure that they have shelter and that first aid and emergency healthcare are available. As well as life-saving medical care, survivors need psychosocial support. Many have also lost touch with their relatives,’ says Jokinen.
The Finnish Red Cross is monitoring the situation in Venezuela and is prepared to dispatch emergency aid. The Finnish Red Cross can channel funds from the disaster relief fund towards an aid operation in Venezuela, and is prepared to send aid workers and material aid to the country.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has already directed more than two million dollars to Venezuela from its disaster relief fund. The DREF (Disaster Relief Emergency Fund) is funded by various countries, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and other financiers. The Finnish Red Cross has supported the fund since 2022. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has also supported the DREF through the Finnish Red Cross.
Donate to the disaster relief fund and help save lives.
Examples of how you can help by making a donation:
- 9 € a week’s food package for a family
- 15 € clean water for a child for a year
- 20 € two warm blankets for comfort and protection
How does the Red Cross help in the Venezuela earthquake?
Volunteers of the Venezuelan Red Cross are evacuating people affected by the earthquake and searching for survivors among the rubble.
The Finnish Red Cross supports relief efforts through the International Red Cross using funds from the disaster relief fund. We are also ready, if needed, to send aid workers and material assistance.
People affected by the earthquake also need your help. If you can, please donate today. Thank you for your support.
This is how the Red Cross helps during an earthquake
The Red Cross:
- Supports authorities by searching for and rescuing injured individuals, providing first aid and organising crisis assistance.
- Directs help to local operators through the international Red Cross, including money, supplies, temporary accommodation, clean water and lavatories.
- Provides healthcare and emotional support.
- Helps in locating family members and reuniting families.
- Helps with rebuilding after disasters.
