Girls and their communities in Venezuela urgently need help following two catastrophic earthquakes. At least 3,700 lives have been lost after the quakes struck within seconds of each other. Around 55,000 people reportedly 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. Weeks after the disaster, families still need shelter, food and water. Girls need mental health support and the chance to return to education, as they try to regain a sense of safety and stability.
Together with local partners, Plan International is responding – helping communities meet their most critical needs, while ensuring girls aren’t forgotten. But more funds are still needed. Your support can be a lifeline for those affected. 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?
Two back-to-back earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck close to Venezuela's capital city, Caracas, on Wednesday 24 June. 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. Some 680,000 children are among the 1.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, UNICEF estimates.
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.
As girls and their families begin to navigate the weeks ahead, ongoing support is essential.
Help children in Venezuela now
Girls and their communities in Venezuela urgently need help in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes. Please donate to the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal.
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
Thank you for standing with girls
Thanks to your support, Plan International and local partners are providing life-saving essentials like shelter, food, water and hygiene kits to those who need it most. We are also looking at the further support needed for long-term recovery – including ensuring that girls return to education.
Between 1–7 July, our partners supported 1,635 people in Distrito Capital and Miranda with mental health and psychosocial support, primary healthcare, and dignity kits.
But the need remains immense. Over the next three months, Plan International aims to reach 100,000 people through partner organisations. Your gift can help us reach more families on the long road to recovery following this crisis. If you can, please give 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.