The Church Expands Venezuela Earthquake Relief With Food, Medical and Emergency Assistance

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is expanding its response to the recent earthquakes in Venezuela in coordination with government and nonprofits to provide food and other essential supplies to affected communities.

With ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency), the Church is providing 5,000 15-day food kits for households, which include canned goods, energy bars, cookies, dried milk, bottled water and other nonperishable products.

In efforts with Project HOPE, funding from the Church will help repair seven health facilities, provide medicine and medical supplies, make psychological first aid available to more than 100,000 individuals and train 230 health staff and community responders in emergency response and first aid.

Collaborating with Catholic Relief Services, the Church of Jesus Christ will provide:

• Five temporary shelters for 400 people
• 700 household kits (tarpaulin, blankets, mats and kitchen sets)
• Water purification kits for 700 families, water filters for 1,075 families, water trucked in for 12,000 individuals
• Ready-to-eat meals for 1,500 people
• Food baskets for 1,075 families
• 700 hygiene kits

These three projects combine for a total of $2.8 million the Church is providing to help alleviate loss and support individuals and families during the recovery in Venezuela.

The Church is also distributing hygiene kits, clean water, food and bedding to individuals. Church support has also bolstered healthcare services by delivering medicine, intravenous solutions, medical and surgical supplies, and other essential items to five public hospitals in Caracas: Domingo Luciani Hospital, Caracas University Hospital, Concepción Palacios Maternity Hospital, Vargas Hospital, and Hugo Chávez Valley Maternal and Children’s Hospital.

This effort to help local hospitals is led by Elder Pedro Hernández, an Area Seventy and physician from Punto Fijo, Venezuela. The donations will support critical areas, including trauma care, emergency surgery and general hospitalization.

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The Church also donated a satellite internet system to the Vice Ministry of Religion and Cults. The high-speed, low-latency system will be installed at the vice ministry’s emergency operations center in La Guaira.

The satellite capability is critical because of disruptions to conventional electrical and telecommunications infrastructure. Officials said the technology will help facilitate real-time coordination, damage assessment reporting, and the deployment of assistance to affected communities.

Elder Juan F. Zorrilla, an Area Seventy from Caracas, formally presented the equipment to the vice ministry on behalf of the Church. Richard Cox, director of the vice ministry, accepted the donation on behalf of the government and expressed appreciation for the contribution.

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In La Guaira, Church leaders and volunteers are preparing and distributing food and drink daily.

“Following Jesus Christ means standing beside those who are going through difficult times,” Elder Zorilla said. “Our hope is that this assistance will represent not only material relief, but also a reminder that God loves His children and that, united, we can bring hope to those who need it most.”

The Church provides humanitarian assistance without regard to race, nationality, political belief or religious affiliation and in accordance with applicable laws in Venezuela. Through collaboration with government agencies and community organizations, the Church seeks to strengthen community resilience and bring hope to individuals and families recovering from the earthquakes.