On June 24, four minutes past six p.m. local time, a doublet earthquake hit Venezuela with a 7.2 magnitude foreshock 23 kilometres off the city of Yumare followed by a 7.5 magnitude mainshock 39 seconds later. This bigger earthquake had its epicenter about five to 10 kilometres away from the previous one. The Venezuelan states of Aragua, Carabobo, Miranda, Trujillo, and Yaracuy were all affected, with cities like La Guaira and Caracas sustaining significant damage.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the earthquakes exposed a significant area, between 10 and 100 square kilometres of land, to be affected by landslides and liquefaction. Approximately half a thousand aftershocks have been registered in the area, with one of the strongest being of a 5.2 magnitude. Over 1,700 people were killed as a result of the catastrophic doublet, with more than 5,000 injured and nearly 50,000 still missing. The United Nations (UN) anticipates the death toll to increase to 10,000 and has provided body bags to Venezuela in anticipation for the additional casualties.
Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez issued a governmental commission to assess the damages caused by the earthquake to housing and infrastructure across the country. Using data from the Sentinel-1 satellite constellation from the European Space Agency, Oregon State University estimated that over 58 thousand buildings in Venezuela have sustained damage or suffered collapses. Residents injured by the collapse of buildings have flooded the already weakened Venezuelan healthcare system, which was already struggling to care for patients in need of medical attention on a daily basis.
The financially strained country’s direct damages following the twin quakes are estimated at a whopping 6.7 billion U.S. dollars — this is on top of the economic, political, and social challenges that Venezuela was already facing prior to the event. According to Humanitarian Action, around 7.9 million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian aid. The government of Canada announced in a news release that it has set aside $5 million Canadian dollars to aid Venezuela in this humanitarian crisis. The Canadian government also stated that they will match all donations made to the Humanitarian Coalition as well as to the Canadian Red Cross between June 25 and July 14, which is projected to raise the total support sum to $9 million.
Countries and entities including North and South America, Europe, and bodies like the Red Cross, and the United Nations have mobilized different resources — from specialized personnel and military assets, to search and rescue equipment, food rations and medical supplies, to help bring relief to the humanitarian emergency.
Various support channels are open and receiving donations to aid people in Venezuela. Help can also be offered by donating to humanitarian aid organisations to help provide medical aid, psychosocial support, non-perishable food, temporary household necessities, hygiene products, pet sustenance items, and more. Additionally, donations to channels with a Canadian presence can be made to Humanitarian Coalition, Canadian Red Cross, Action Against Hunger, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Shelter Box Canada, UNICEF Canada, UNHCR Canada, Crossroads Cares, Canada Helps, and Humanity & Inclusion.
