The Irish Government has announced €1 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to support relief efforts following the devastating earthquakes that struck north-central Venezuela on 24 June 2026. The funding was announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee and Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond.
The financial assistance will be provided to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support emergency response activities, including physical and psychological first aid, damage assessments, ongoing medical care, and other essential humanitarian services for affected communities.
According to the Irish Government, the contribution will help the IFRC reach approximately 300,000 people impacted by the disaster. Priority assistance will be directed to individuals who have lost their homes, require urgent medical treatment, or are facing the immediate consequences of the earthquakes.
The earthquakes have caused widespread destruction to homes, hospitals, and critical infrastructure, with approximately 1,700 fatalities reported and an estimated nine million people affected across the country. Relief operations are currently focused on the hardest-hit areas, including La Guaira and Greater Caracas, while additional assessments continue in Carabobo, Aragua, Miranda, and Falcon states.
In addition to this latest contribution, Ireland has recently allocated another €1 million to the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund, managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is coordinating the international response, including the deployment of Urban Search and Rescue teams.
Ireland also continues to support global emergency response mechanisms through contributions to international humanitarian pooled funds, including the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), reinforcing its commitment to providing timely assistance during humanitarian crises worldwide.
