The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced preparations today to dispatch an aid delegation to Venezuela, following two powerful earthquakes that struck the South American nation. The offer of assistance comes as multiple Israeli and Jewish organizations mobilize their resources, amidst a global response to the humanitarian crisis.
According to the US Geological Survey, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Caracas today, followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor. Predictive modeling by the USGS estimates the death toll will likely reach into the thousands, with a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000.
The Aid Mobilization
The Health Ministry is also preparing to send a medical aid delegation, forming medical, logistics, and emergency response teams. These teams await coordination with and approval from the Foreign Ministry before joining the effort. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) announced its preparations to provide aid totaling hundreds of thousands of shekels specifically to Venezuela’s Jewish communities, including 500 families who were evacuated from their homes.
KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky spoke with Roberto Mishkin, a senior leader of the Jewish community in Venezuela, and KKL-JNF Venezuela’s CEO, receiving updates on the situation. Ostrinsky stated, “KKL is committed to Jewish communities in the Diaspora, which are an inseparable part of us both in routine times and in emergencies. Just as we were there during Operation Roaring Lion system in Beit Shemesh, Beersheba, Dimona, and Arad with communities that suffered severe damage and extreme upheaval, so we will be there for our brothers in Venezuela in their time of need.” Miguel Trozman, a head of the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela (CAIV), reported no casualties within the Jewish community in Caracas so far, noting that many members chose to spend the night together at the Jewish community center.
Four member organizations of the Society for International Development (SID Israel) have begun activating their response teams. IsraAID, described as Israel’s largest non-governmental humanitarian aid agency, confirmed it is deploying an emergency response team to Venezuela. IsraAID’s initial team will include emergency response specialists and humanitarian experts from its ongoing mission in Colombia and its global Emergency Response Team. The staff will focus on mental health and psychological first aid, water, sanitation and hygiene, and rapid needs assessment in affected communities.
Strategic Engagement
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is coordinating with local Jewish communities to provide food, clean water, medicine, and emergency shelters. JDC is also preparing for Caracas International Airport to reopen to deploy its own emergency response team. SmartAID is working with Venezuelan partners to assess urgent humanitarian needs and will deliver equipment and emergency relief supplies. Natan Worldwide Disaster Relief is sending a team of medical and psychosocial support professionals to conduct a rapid needs assessment and lay the groundwork for a broader humanitarian response.
An SID Israel director noted that humanitarian organizations build emergency response capacity over many years, rooted in long-term investment, trusted partnerships, and sustained engagement with local communities. The director highlighted that even in a complex environment like Venezuela, where Israel has no diplomatic relations, Israeli humanitarian organizations are able to rely on well-established professional networks, local partners, regional teams, and staff already operating nearby to begin responding within hours. This capacity, the director added, makes fast, effective, and life-saving humanitarian action possible.
International Response
Beyond Israeli efforts, other global powers have also offered assistance. US President Donald Trump stated that the two earthquakes had “left a devastating number of deaths,” without citing official casualty figures. Trump posted on Truth Social that the USA stands ready, willing, and able to help, instructing all agencies to prepare to move quickly. The Chinese Foreign Ministry affirmed that China would do what it could to assist Venezuela, reporting no Chinese casualties or injuries. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered full support to the Venezuelan people, with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares adding that Spain was ready to supply any required emergency aid. President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva similarly declared support for the Venezuelan government’s recovery efforts, directing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Brazilian Embassy in Caracas to assess how Brazil could help Acting President Delcy Rodríguez in the recovery of affected areas.