Infinite Solidarity: United Way Venezuela Rallies after Devastating Earthquakes

When the earthquakes struck on the evening of June 24, 2026, Maria was at home in Caracas, the capital city, west of the epicenter near the town of Morón. She lives in a house rather than one of the apartment towers, and it held. In Los Palos Grandes, a neighborhood near her, a building came down. She and her family came through safely.

"Gracias a Dios— thank God, my family and I are safe," she says. "We didn't experience material damage, but it's very painful to see everything that is happening."  

For many around her, the same night ended differently. The two earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, happened less than a minute apart, bringing homes and buildings down across Caracas and along the coast.

In the days that followed, more than 1,450 people died, and over 12,700 lost their homes. And the toll continues to rise, especially in La Guaira state, which was the hardest hit. 

infinite solidarity

In the chaos of the disaster, Maria says one thing stands out above all else: the extraordinary solidarity she is witnessing in Venezuela. Across affected communities, people are coming together to support one another, while companies, partners and organizations work together to deliver critical resources such as food and medicine. “There is infinite solidarity,” she says.  

That close connection is at the core of the work that is already underway for Maria’s team. United Way of Venezuela, known locally as Dividendo Voluntario para la Comunidad (DVC), lives where it serves. Its relationship with the community was built long before the earthquake through its work with families, older adults, and children, in partnership with the private sector.  

After the disaster, the team began prioritizing aid by how hard each community was hit, coordinating closely with Caritas, a nonprofit leading the distribution of food and medical supplies, and drawing on alliances across the local network and with hospitals it already knew.

Maria is resilient but she cannot hide the effect the tragedy has had on her. The hardest part, she says, is what the disaster has done to the nation’s youngest.  

"When you see the faces, it's very difficult, especially when it comes to the children,” she says. “When you're a mother and you witness the impact on other families, it's very hard."

UNICEF estimates about 680,000 children across the country need humanitarian care.

What carries her through is the work itself.  

"I truly believe that trying to help is what allows you to carry all of this, but I have faith we will get through this. We have a strong support network," she says.