PAHO/WHO supports health response to Venezuela earthquake with the delivery of 27 tonnes of medicines and medical supplies

Maiquetía, Venezuela, 15 July 2026 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in coordination with the Ministry of Popular Power for Health (MPPH), has delivered 27 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies and specialized equipment for distribution to hospitals across Venezuela. The shipment will strengthen care for people affected by the 24 June earthquake and expand the operational capacity of health facilities that continue to respond to the emergency.

According to latest official figures from the MPPH, nearly three weeks after the earthquake, 16,740 people have been injured and 107 temporary camps are sheltering 20,936 people. Health services continue to face sustained demand for medical and surgical care.

In this context, the supplies, which arrived in the country on 13 July, will help ensure timely care for people with traumatic injuries and other conditions requiring specialized treatment, including surgical kits sufficient to support up to 1,000 surgical procedures. The shipment also includes emergency health kits capable of meeting the essential health needs of up to 20,000 people for three months.

The supplies sent also include essential medicines, specialized surgical equipment and instruments for trauma surgery, orthopedics, amputations, vascular injuries, thoracic and abdominal trauma, external fixation of complex fractures, anesthesia and other specialized surgical procedures.

During the reception ceremony for the supplies at Maiquetía International Airport, the Minister of Popular Power for Health, Dr. Carlos Humberto Alvarado, highlighted the importance of this assistance in sustaining the health response and addressing the needs of affected communities.

"These kits will strengthen healthcare services in the temporary camps and enhance the surgical capacity of the health system to respond to the needs of people affected by the earthquake, including patients requiring specialized interventions and procedures," he said.

The shipment, mobilized as part of the response led by the MPPH with support from PAHO/WHO, was dispatched from the WHO Humanitarian Logistics Hub in Dubai, one of the Organization's main logistics centers for the deployment of strategic health supplies during emergencies. This assistance was made possible through funding from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the European Union's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

Liz Parra, Subregional Advisor for PAHO/WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, noted that the shipment forms part of the Organization's ongoing support to the national health response.

"Since the beginning of the emergency, PAHO/WHO has provided technical cooperation and operational support to the MPPH in priority areas including health coordination, epidemiological surveillance, trauma care, mental health and psychosocial support, health logistics, and the continuity of essential health services," she said.

PAHO/WHO will continue supporting the national response to help ensure that people affected by the earthquake have timely access to health services and the medical supplies they need for their recovery.