Houston Venezuelans organize aid drives after deadly Venezuela earthquakes

Donation sites opened across Houston as Venezuelan residents rushed to collect food, medicine and other supplies for families hit by twin earthquakes that tore through their homeland. Organizers said the goods would be shipped to Venezuela as quickly as possible, though damage to Caracas’ main airport could slow delivery.

The earthquakes struck on June 24 and measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. At least 188 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured, while buildings collapsed and power and hospital services were disrupted across Caracas and nearby states. The quakes were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century, and authorities declared a state of emergency as rescue crews and aid workers tried to reach hard-hit areas.

Houston has one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States, with about 83,000 Venezuelans living in the greater Houston area, Pew Research Center put the figure at about 83,000. Residents used community Facebook groups and other social media to spread the word about collection points across the city and nearby suburbs.

Venezuelans in Houston called the drive an act of resilience and a way to stay connected to relatives and friends more than 2,000 miles away. Local businesses in Katy and other surrounding areas joined the effort, adding more places where residents could drop off items for families facing shortages after the quakes.

Before the shaking started, nearly 8 million people in Venezuela were already in urgent humanitarian need, the International Rescue Committee said. UNICEF was providing emergency support for children and families affected by the disaster, and the U.S. military said it would provide aircraft to help with search-and-rescue operations and aid delivery.