The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is expanding its emergency health response in Venezuela following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country on 24 June 2026. The organization is supporting the Ministry of Health by deploying technical experts, coordinating emergency medical teams, assessing damaged health facilities, and delivering critical medical supplies.
The earthquakes have caused significant loss of life, with more than 1,430 deaths and over 3,200 injuries reported. As rescue and recovery operations continue, authorities expect these figures to increase. Health facilities in affected areas are under severe pressure as hospitals manage large numbers of trauma patients and urgent medical needs.
Initial assessments conducted by PAHO found that several health facilities have been severely affected, with hospitals in Caracas, La Guaira, and surrounding areas facing structural damage, overcrowded emergency departments, shortages of trauma supplies, and increasing demand for surgical care.
PAHO has activated its emergency response mechanisms and deployed specialists in emergency coordination, trauma care, hospital safety, logistics, water and sanitation, information management, risk communication, and mental health support. Working with Venezuela’s Ministry of Health and other humanitarian partners, PAHO has conducted rapid assessments in priority hospitals to identify urgent needs and strengthen response efforts.
The organization has also activated its regional medical coordination platform to manage offers of international support. An international Emergency Medical Team specializing in complex inpatient care, surgery, and intensive care has arrived in La Guaira, while additional specialized teams remain available if requested by national authorities.
To support immediate healthcare needs, PAHO has mobilized emergency supplies from its strategic reserve, including trauma kits, essential medicines, protective equipment, water purification supplies, shelter materials, and other emergency resources. Additional support is being arranged for trauma surgery, intensive care services, laboratory needs, vaccines, and water and sanitation facilities.
Beyond immediate injuries, PAHO has warned of increasing public health risks in the coming weeks. Damage to healthcare infrastructure, disrupted water and sanitation services, and displacement of communities could increase the risk of disease outbreaks, including vaccine-preventable diseases and mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and malaria.
Mental health support is also a key priority, with PAHO assisting affected communities, families searching for missing relatives, healthcare workers, and emergency responders dealing with the psychological impact of the disaster.
PAHO continues to coordinate with Venezuela’s health authorities, civil protection agencies, United Nations partners, and international organizations to restore essential health services and ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the communities most affected by the earthquakes.
