The Daily Journal — The humanitarian response for people affected by the June 24 earthquakes faces a major funding shortfall. The updated response plan led by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations has secured only 39% of the required funding, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The organization warned that as many as 1.3 million people in the affected areas now require humanitarian assistance, an increase of more than 700,000 people compared with the needs that existed before the earthquakes.
In response, humanitarian organizations revised the Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela to include earthquake-related operations, increasing its financial requirements by nearly 50%. The updated strategy aims to assist 6.2 million people during the first six months of the response, but it currently has only slightly more than one-third of the funding it needs.
“The first month after a disaster usually brings global solidarity and attention. The real test now is whether that support continues after the headlines begin to fade,” said Elena Vicario, NRC Country Director in Venezuela.
“Families that lost their homes, livelihoods, and access to essential services cannot rebuild their lives with short-term commitments,” she added.
The NRC said the earthquake worsened an already critical humanitarian situation. Before the disaster, more than one-quarter of Venezuela’s population already required international assistance in areas such as protection, healthcare, education, water, sanitation, and livelihood recovery.
The organization explained that the revised humanitarian plan seeks to address earthquake-related needs while maintaining support for pre-existing humanitarian programs, preventing the disaster response from displacing other essential services.
“We welcome the rapid mobilization of resources after the earthquakes, but this funding should complement—not replace—support for existing humanitarian needs,” Vicario said.
She also urged donor countries to sustain financial support over time and strengthen organizations that already work in the affected communities.
“Local communities, organizations, and humanitarian actors with a long-standing presence have the knowledge and access needed to reach affected populations, and new support should strengthen their work,” she said.
Education among the hardest-hit sectors
The funding gap has also affected education. According to the NRC, nearly 24,000 children have experienced interruptions to their schooling because of the earthquakes.
The education sector within the humanitarian response plan has received less than 5% of the required funding, a situation the organization attributes to years of insufficient international support for educational needs in Venezuela.
“For children living in temporary shelters, the emergency is far from over,” said Liliana Largo, NRC Program Development Manager for Education.
Largo explained that disruptions to school and family routines have taken an emotional toll on children.
“Routines that once provided stability and protection have changed, and emotions such as fear have emerged, affecting children’s ability to concentrate and learn,” she said.
More than 2,400 displaced people assisted during the first month
The NRC reported that during the first month of its response, it carried out assessments in 16 temporary shelters and assisted more than 2,400 people displaced by the earthquakes.
The organization distributed hygiene kits and other essential supplies, while also providing psychosocial support for children and legal assistance for people who lost civil documents and property records.
“One month later, people affected by the earthquakes continue to live with uncertainty every day,” Vicario said.
“The humanitarian community faces a choice: sustain the response and help communities recover, or allow funding shortfalls to turn this disaster into a longer-term crisis. The world must not look away,” she concluded.
