The Cayman Islands Red Cross (CIRC) has launched a monetary donation appeal in response to the earthquakes in northern Venezuela on June 24th, 2026.
Two devastating earthquakes have shattered communities across Venezuela, leaving thousands of families facing unimaginable loss. In just 39 seconds, two powerful earthquakes changed countless lives forever. The Venezuelan Red Cross is already responding—but they urgently need your support to reach those still waiting for help. Your donation today can help the Red Cross deliver lifesaving assistance where it is needed most.
“The devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela are a sobering reminder that natural disasters can occur close to home, even as our region continues to recover from a series of recent emergencies,” explains Jondo Obi, Director of the CIRC. “At the Cayman Islands Red Cross, our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we are inspired by the compassion and generosity that define our community. Time and again, the people of the Cayman Islands have shown that when our neighbours are in need, we respond with kindness, solidarity, and action. Together, we can help bring hope and lifesaving assistance to those facing unimaginable loss.”
The Venezuelan Red Cross Society (VRCS) responded immediately. Their efforts so far have included:
- Emergency medical response: getting ambulances into the Capital District to help treat those in need of urgent medical care and to transport injured people to hospital.
- Search and rescue: specialist teams are supporting rescue efforts in areas where buildings and infrastructure have totally collapsed. Their focus is on saving as many lives as possible in these critical early stages.
- Preparing shelter facilities: making sure people whose homes are no longer safe to stay in have somewhere they can rest, with access to essential items, advice and emotional support.
- Ongoing crisis assessment: working with local authorities and colleagues of the International Federation of the Red Cross, VRCS will continue to assess the growing humanitarian needs, so that they can get support to those that need it, fast.
The challenges of recovery following a major disaster include physical and mental health risks to the population, shelter, transportation and access to the most affected area, as well as addressing the rapidly changing needs of the population in real time.
“What people need right after a disaster can be very different from what they need two weeks later, and even more so a couple of months down the road,” says Mrs. Obi. “Response teams, government officials, and volunteers will be working tirelessly in the weeks and months ahead. One thing we want to avoid is making their job harder by sending donations that haven’t been requested.”
Unsolicited bilateral donations (UBDs) are items that people send after a disaster without being specifically asked for. These donations often arrive unexpectedly or with very little notice, may be missing important paperwork, have no clear recipient, fail to meet quality standards, are poorly packaged, or simply aren’t appropriate for the needs of the people affected by the disaster.
“UBDs are known as the second disaster, or the disaster within a disaster, because they happen so often after major catastrophes,” explains Dani Coleman, Director of Hazard Management Cayman Islands. “We have seen their impact in the region time and time again, in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa, in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch, in the Bahamas after the passing of Dorian, and to some degree even here at home after Hurricane Ivan.”
UBDs have several negative impacts, but key among them are their disruption of the humanitarian supply chain by blocking entry points, such as ports, with unnecessary goods which need to be processed, sorted, stored and take up necessary resources that delay or outright impedes the movement of solicited goods; the cost of processing, transporting, sorting and warehousing the goods often adds up to more than the value of the goods themselves; and the environmental impact as the disposal of UBDs adds to landfills, and in extreme cases – such as the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004- they create environmental hazards.
It is for all these reasons that the CIRC has launched a monetary fund appeal to support earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela.
For more information on the Venezuela Earthquake appeal, contact +1 (345) 916-3345.
To donate to the Venezuela Earthquake appeal, please note our banking information below.
Cayman Islands Red Cross International Emergency Appeals
Butterfield Bank A/C number: 136-035054-0060 (KYD)
If you would like to donate by cheque, please make your cheque payable to Cayman Islands Red Cross, with the memo, “Venezuela Earthquake”.
Appeal duration: June 29 to July 31, 2026.