The news coming out of Venezuela over the last few days is incredibly heavy. On June 24, a massive doublet earthquake (a 7.2 magnitude shock followed less than a minute later by a 7.5 mainshock) struck the country’s northern coast. It is the most powerful seismic event the region has felt in over a century.
Right now, official reports count over 1,400 casualties and more than 3,200 injuries. But with more than 50,000 people still missing or trapped under rubble, the number of victims is expected to increase significantly. While Caracas felt the shockwaves and some buildings crumbled down, the coastal region of La Guaira took the brunt of the devastation. Entire apartment buildings, in some cases higher than 20 stories, have collapsed, and vital infrastructure, including the country’s main gateway, Maiquetía International Airport, is severely damaged.
Hundreds of other residential buildings didn’t collapse outright, but they have been damaged to the point that they are beyond repair and no longer usable. Thousands of people have lost their homes and all their belongings in a matter of seconds. If you want to see the physical scale of the structural impact, there is an updated interactive 3D map of La Guaira tracking the affected buildings, created with AI from satellite images.
How to Support the Relief Efforts
Venezuela desperately needs international help to deal with this catastrophe. Many organizations are raising funds to help those affected across the country. One initiative stands out because it comes straight from the Venezuelan entrepreneurial ecosystem. This is a community used to mobilizing very fast and generating immediate impact, and it is inspiring to see how local founders are stepping up.
The initiative is being co-led by the founder of Yummy, the primary ride-sharing and delivery platform in Venezuela. With their deep local network, they have the capability of deploying help very quickly and funneling emergency resources exactly where they are needed most.
They have built a dedicated donation portal at dona.yummyrides.com. The resources raised are currently being used for critical medical supplies, alongside tools and supplies for active rescue operations. During a second phase, the focus will shift toward directly helping the people who have lost everything. The entire initiative looks to be highly capital efficient because several companies are offering a dollar-for-dollar match on all donations, and Stripe, the payment processor, is taking zero processing fees. Ultimately, the agility of these founders is a stark reminder of what technology can do when it is channeled toward human survival.
Other Ways to Help
Another initiative that tends to be very effective in these crises is World Central Kitchen, founded by Chef José Andrés. World Central Kitchen is internationally recognized for responding to natural disasters by providing fresh meals and emergency food assistance to impacted communities around the world, and they are already on the ground operating in Venezuela. You can donate to their efforts here.
Whether you choose these options or select another organization as a channel for your support, I urge you to act. The Venezuelan people have been hit by these terrible earthquakes in a country that has seen its institutions deteriorated by years of an oppressive and bad regime. They cannot face this recovery alone. Let’s do what we can to back them up.