The World Food Program steps up food aid to respond to the Venezuelan earthquake

This was originally published on wfp.org

The World Food Program is working to increase support, as earthquakes threaten to exacerbate hunger in a country facing overlapping needs.

The World Food Program is stepping up food, logistical and other humanitarian assistance in Venezuela following last week’s (24 June) massive earthquakes that left devastation in the country’s northwest.

Days after the earthquakes, the World Food Program began distributing emergency food to the most vulnerable and affected people in the worst-hit state of La Guaira. During the first three months of the response, we aim to reach half a million earthquake-affected people living in shelters – and up to a million people if sufficient funding comes through.

“WFP teams are working around the clock to reach survivors and provide them with the assistance they desperately need.” – Stephanie Hochstetter, World Food Programme’s Country Director in Venezuela.

WFP has also begun setting up temporary food distribution centers in La Guaira, providing integrated services with our UN partners – and we are expanding operations to other states affected by the earthquake. Teams of responders have been deployed to affected areas to assess the most pressing conditions, challenges and needs of communities.

The expansion comes amid widespread devastation, as strong earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 destroyed buildings and damaged roads, airport facilities and other infrastructure. Many people are still in shock, as survivors desperately search through the rubble for their relatives, friends and belongings. Thousands are sleeping in evacuation shelters, and entire livelihoods have been destroyed.

The World Food Program is supporting the Venezuelan earthquake response by providing food, logistical and other assistance. Photo: WFP/Gustavo Vera

“In La Guaira, homes, markets and food supplies have been destroyed, leaving families with little or no food,” says Stephanie Hochstetter, World Food Programme’s country director in Venezuela. “Right now, in addition to emergency medical services, access to food, water and shelter are the most urgent priorities. WFP teams are working around the clock to reach survivors and provide them with the assistance they desperately need.”

The full scope of humanitarian needs is still emerging, as search and rescue operations continue and entire communities have yet to be reached.

The World Food Program is responding in multiple ways. They already have more than 3,000 metric tons of food in the country – enough to feed more than 10,000 families for two months – and are bringing in additional supplies.

In addition, more than 1,400 metric tons of relief materials provided by their humanitarian partners have been stored in the UN Humanitarian Response Warehouse managed by WFP in Panama, ready for dispatch.

WFP Food: From school meals to building resilience

Search and rescue teams are searching for earthquake survivors in La Guaira. Photo: WFP/Gustavo Vera

Earthquakes add additional hardship to a country facing overlapping needs – and where access to enough food remains a major concern for about 80 percent of the population.

For the past five years, the World Food Program has been the backbone of the humanitarian response to food security in Venezuela. In 2025 alone, their food assistance – including school meals for young students and support for the most vulnerable families – reached 760,000 people in 12 states, representing 80 percent of the country’s food security assistance.

It is critical that WFP build capacity to deliver food and other essential supplies in a timely manner to crisis-affected communities, and support the strengthening of national risk management systems through training of the country’s civil protection and firefighting teams. It also helps households build resilience and the ability to recover from shocks, strengthen their livelihoods and build long-term food security to deal with future shocks.

But the needs are enormous as Venezuela faces a host of challenges – from the world’s highest food inflation rate, exceeding 500 percent annually, to a series of climate disasters last year that helped drive up prices and hunger.

The earthquake’s impact on employment, infrastructure, and supply chains is expected to put food access out of reach for the most vulnerable groups – even as the country braces for the fallout from El Niño in the coming months.

Learn how to donate to Venezuela earthquake response efforts

Learn more about WFP’s response to the earthquake in Venezuela

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