Ireland provides support to victims of the Venezuela earthquake

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD and Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, has today announced that Ireland will provide relief items to support those affected by two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela.

The relief items are being provided to GOAL and CESVI - a partner of Concern Worldwide. They include essential supplies for displaced people - including blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, and water jerry cans. The items are being flown to Venezuela from Ireland's prepositioned supplies in the UN Humanitarian Response Depots in Panama.

The stocks are being transported with the support of the European Union's humanitarian department, ECHO. The flights will also carry water, sanitation and health items from other humanitarian partners. The first flights have already arrived in Caracas, with more flights planned this week.

This contribution complements Ireland's other support to the Venezuelan earthquake response through pre-positioned humanitarian funding to Irish NGOs and support to the Venezuela Red Cross through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Announcing the relief items, Minister McEntee said:

These relief items will allow GOAL and CESVI to support those who have been displaced by these devastating earthquakes. The death toll sadly continues to rise, and many remain missing. Tens of thousands are affected by the destruction of homes, businesses and essential infrastructure.

As Ireland assumes the EU Presidency, it is fitting that our assistance is delivered as part of Team Europe. The EU Humanitarian Airbridge allows Ireland to quickly and efficiently deliver these items to those in need.

Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, added:

The deployment of Ireland's humanitarian stocks supports thousands of people affected by these earthquakes. The scale of destruction in the worst-affected regions is shocking, and comes amid an already severe humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

By providing essential shelter and other supplies, Ireland is bringing some relief to those that have lost everything

ENDS

16 August 2026

• On 24 June 2026, two large earthquakes struck northwestern Venezuela causing widespread damage. The death toll is now above 4,000 and continues to rise. Tens of thousands are affected - either by displacement from their homes or widescale disruptions to services.
• On 30 June, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD and Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, announced €1m for the Venezuelan Earthquake Appeal of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
• Under the Rapid Response Initiative, Ireland pre-positions emergency and humanitarian relief items around the world. Stocks are pre-positioned in UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD) which are strategically located near disaster and crisis prone areas. Ireland's stocks are located in Dubai (UAE), Brindisi (Italy) and Panama City (Panama). UNHRD not only procures and stores Ireland's stocks but also arranges for their packaging and transport to the crisis affected country. Stockpiling relief items allows Ireland to obtain lower prices through economies of scale, with prices agreed and purchases finalised before a crisis strikes. It also facilitates faster delivery of stocks into crises, and shared and lower transport costs.