Developing story
Venezuela earthquakes: How MSF is responding
We have donated emergency trauma kits to treat thousands of people in hospitals in Caracas and La Guaira.
Update
Earthquake survivors cope with grief and loss
October 6, 2026 — One hundred days after the earthquakes that hit Venezuela in June, the nature of the emergency has changed significantly: What began as a response focused on saving lives and treating physical trauma has transformed to address the prolonged consequences of uncertainty, displacement, and the cumulative emotional toll on individuals and communities. To respond to these needs, multidisciplinary teams with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continue to provide medical care through six mobile clinics in Caracas and La Guaira, integrating mental health and psychosocial support with primary health care services.
On the night of June 24, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Venezuela, followed by a second quake of 7.5 magnitude less than a minute later. There have been 5,398 deaths, 16,740 people injured, and 17,907 displaced.
The day after the quakes struck, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams traveled from Caracas to La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, to assess the situation and respond. Since then, MSF teams have been providing care to survivors through mobile clinics, distributing emergency trauma kits, donating medical supplies, and supporting water and sanitation, particularly for those displaced.
How can I help MSF?
By giving to MSF today, you'll help ensure we can respond to emergencies like the Venezuela earthquakes at a moment's notice.
DonateHow is MSF responding in Venezuela?
Donating medical supplies
As one of the only international aid organizations present in the first hours following the disaster, MSF was able to fill critical supply gaps when hospitals exhausted their emergency stocks. Our teams distributed emergency trauma kits and medical supplies to hospitals in Caracas and La Guaira, covering about 10,000 injured patients. We have donated 8.5 tons of emergency medical supplies.
MSF is also supporting the central morgue with a donation of 1,000 body bags, personal protective equipment (PPE), and disinfectant.
Operating mobile clinics
MSF runs mobile clinics in areas facing some of the greatest humanitarian needs and operational gaps, including the cities of Naiguatá and Catia La Mar in La Guaira state. Our 12-person team — which includes a medical doctor, a psychologist, a health promoter, an environmental health specialist, and nurses — is primarily treating cases of diarrhea, respiratory illnesses, and skin conditions. All of these illnesses spread easily in the poor, crowded conditions in shelters where displaced people are living, often without water and sanitation access. Over the past month, our teams have conducted 2,217 medical consultations.
MSF also maintains permanent mobile clinic teams in Playa Verde and Caracas.
Supporting water and sanitation
Water and sanitation are a key part of MSF’s earthquake response, helping to prevent disease outbreaks and allow people to live in dignified conditions with access to safe water, showers, and toilets. Our teams are monitoring for waterborne diseases as well as mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. To reduce the risks, we are also assessing water sources, sanitation conditions, and disease surveillance needs in affected areas. Activities may include water trucking, chlorination of water supplies, emergency latrines, hygiene kit distributions, and regular mobile clinic visits to shelters and gathering sites.
What’s next in MSF’s earthquake response?
As hospitals begin to move beyond the initial influx of trauma patients, our response is increasingly focused on displaced communities. Many of the nearly 18,000 displaced are living in informal settlements across Caracas, including in parks and stadiums, which may lack access to organized sanitation systems and reliable access to safe drinking water. While local residents and volunteer groups are distributing water informally, the needs remain significant.
From our experience with earthquake response, mental health first aid is also a critical need to address in the aftermath of a disaster.
Further, our teams are carrying out exploratory visits to identify areas and communities that may not yet be receiving assistance.
"People are in the streets"
Listen to MSF Medical Coordinator Halima Hussein describe the situation in Venezuela on June 25, 2026, following the powerful quakes.
Get breaking news from Venezuela and around the world
How you can help
Not everyone can treat patients in emergencies. But everyone can do something.
Some humanitarian crises make the headlines—others don’t. Unrestricted support from our donors allows us to mobilize quickly and efficiently to provide lifesaving medical care to the people who need it most, whether those needs are in the spotlight or not. And your donation is 100 percent tax-deductible.
