In the wake of two devastating back-to-back earthquakes that rocked north-central Venezuela on June 24, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a $24 million emergency fundraising appeal to fund six months of urgent health interventions and early health system recovery in the hardest-hit regions of the country.
The twin tremors, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, left a trail of widespread destruction that ranks among the most severe natural disasters to impact Venezuela in decades. As of official government updates from June 29, the disaster has claimed more than 1,943 lives and left over 10,500 people injured. The quakes struck already vulnerable densely populated urban areas grappling with pre-existing humanitarian crises, leveling or severely damaging hundreds of health facilities along with critical national infrastructure including power grids, water systems, transportation networks, and telecommunications services.
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, search and rescue operations are still ongoing, but the public health emergency has entered a new, more complex phase. Local hospitals are already operating drastically over capacity to treat a surge of trauma patients, while critical shortages of essential medications, surgical supplies, laboratory reagents, and life-saving medical equipment have put continuous care delivery at severe risk. Beyond immediate physical injuries, public health risks are projected to escalate rapidly in the coming weeks: damaged health infrastructure, mass population displacement, overcrowded emergency shelters, interrupted routine vaccination campaigns, and compromised water and sanitation systems have drastically increased the likelihood of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable and other communicable diseases. At the same time, the psychological toll of the disaster on affected communities and frontline health workers continues to grow.
The $24 million appeal will allocate funding to six core priority areas over the next six months, designed to address both immediate life-saving needs and long-term health system recovery. These priorities include: delivering emergency trauma, surgical, and critical care to impacted patients; restoring the functional capacity and safety of damaged essential health services; procuring and distributing life-saving essential medications, vaccines, laboratory supplies, and medical equipment; preventing disease outbreaks through enhanced surveillance, expanded vaccination campaigns, laboratory system strengthening, infection prevention and control protocols, water and sanitation interventions, and vector control; expanding access to mental health and psychosocial support to protect the wellbeing of affected populations; and strengthening cross-sector health coordination, emergency management capacity, and the transition from immediate response to early recovery.
The appeal targets direct support for approximately 700,000 residents in the most severely affected municipalities, while also bolstering referral hospitals and regional health services that serve millions more people whose access to routine and emergency care has been disrupted by the disaster.
“While search and rescue efforts continue, the health emergency is entering a new phase,” explained PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. “Thousands of injured people require ongoing care, hospitals remain under enormous pressure, and the risk of disease outbreaks is increasing. This appeal will help save lives today while supporting the recovery of essential health services for the months ahead.” Dr. Barbosa further emphasized the critical urgency of the funding, noting, “Investing in health now will not only help save lives but also prevent secondary public health emergencies that could prolong the humanitarian impact of this disaster. We call on governments, development partners, international financial institutions, philanthropic organizations and the private sector to support this appeal and stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela.”
Since the earthquakes struck, PAHO has already mobilized a coordinated on-the-ground response in close partnership with Venezuela’s Ministry of Health, national Civil Protection agencies, United Nations partners, and regional Health Cluster members. The organization activated its full Incident Management System and Regional Response Team immediately after the disaster, deployed specialized emergency response experts to the impacted regions, completed rapid needs assessments of priority hospitals, and coordinated the deployment of international Emergency Medical Teams to reinforce local care capacity. PAHO has also already shipped emergency supplies from its regional Strategic Reserve based in Panama, including trauma care kits, essential medications, and emergency medical equipment, while supporting urgent procurement efforts for additional vaccines, medications, laboratory supplies, and other critical health commodities.
Founded in 1902 as the world’s oldest international public health agency, PAHO works with all countries across the Americas to improve population health and quality of life. It acts as the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Americas and serves as the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System (OAS).