The Australian Government will provide $2 million in humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June 2026.
While the full scale of this tragedy is still emerging, the devastation is widespread. The confirmed fatalities are in the thousands, and tens of thousands more remain missing. The death toll is expected to increase in the coming days as rescue teams continue their work.
With the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure, nearly two million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. These earthquakes also exacerbate an already serious humanitarian situation resulting from Venezuela's economic situation.
Australia's funding will contribute, alongside international partners including the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union, to emergency food, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, and psychosocial support. The funding will also assist first responders, local authorities and humanitarian partners with transport, storage, coordination and logistics.
Our assistance will be delivered through trusted partners, including the International Federation of the Red Cross and the United Nations World Food Programme.
This latest funding is additional to Australia's contributions to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), which have already released funding to support the emergency response.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong:
"Our thoughts are with the people of Venezuela, the Australian-Venezuelan community, and all those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
"Australia's humanitarian assistance will support access to food, shelter, medical care and other essential services."
Quotes attributable to the Minister for International Development Dr Anne Aly:
"Australia is working with our humanitarian partners to provide life-saving assistance for civilians affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela.
"My thoughts are with the people of Venezuela, and the diaspora community in Australia, and around the world who have been affected by this devastating disaster."
