Girls and their communities in Venezuela urgently need help following two catastrophic earthquakes.
The quakes struck within seconds of each other, reducing buildings to rubble in minutes. Nearly 3,700 people have been killed with reports that around 55,000 remain missing or unaccounted for.
Many girls have lost everything. Without the protection of home and the routine of school, they face even greater risks. They urgently need shelter, food, water, and medical care.
Along with other DEC charities, Plan International is responding with partners. Together, we're helping communities meet their most urgent needs while ensuring girls aren’t forgotten. But more funds are needed.
Your support can be a lifeline for those affected by this devastating disaster. Please donate now.
“There is still a great deal of need here. We need many medical supplies, we need water... My call is for people to keep donating. It is a time for solidarity.”
Atimar, Tinta Violeta, a local partner of Plan International in Venezuela.
What happened in Venezuela?
Just after 6pm local time on Wednesday 24 June, two back-to-back earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck close to Venezuela's capital city, Caracas.
The second earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in more than a century.
Homes, schools, hospitals, and water sources have all been badly damaged. Rescue workers are still searching for survivors under the rubble.
The crisis has turned many girls' lives upside down. Gone is the protection of home. The routine of school. Some have even lost loved ones.
Without these safety nets and support, girls are more at risk of harm. From living in temporary shelters that lack security. To managing their periods without clean water.
Survivors urgently need shelter, food, water and medical care. But girls also need greater protection, mental health support and the chance to return to education quickly.
Help girls in Venezuela now
Donate now to the DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal and help survivors.
Alexa's story
“My brother and I were both really frightened by the earthquake. Now, when I look at things, I feel like they’re moving.
We need tents and other things like that for people. I haven’t heard anything from my aunts yet. One of them was hit by a falling wall, and the roof collapsed too. She was badly hurt. She’s currently in a shelter, where they have given her a room.
My other aunts have been evacuated. I want people to send lots of things to them, because they really need it.”
Alexa, 12, Venezuela
Together we can make a difference
Plan International UK is a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella organisation that brings together 15 UK aid agencies to tackle major humanitarian emergencies.
Together with other DEC charities, Plan International is responding with partners helping to meet urgent needs in Venezuela following the catastrophic earthquakes.
Together, we’re working to provide life-saving essentials and ensure girls’ unique needs are not forgotten. This includes providing shelter, food, water and hygiene kits - and in the long-term, getting girls back into education too.
Between 1–7 July, Plan International’s partners supported 1,635 people in Distrito Capital and Miranda with mental health and psychosocial support, primary healthcare, and dignity kits.
More funds will help us reach more families in need on the long road to recovery following this crisis. If you can, please donate today.
In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent for this appeal, any additional funds will be spent wherever the need is greatest.
Header photo credit: Federico Parra / AFP / Getty Images