The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is expanding its humanitarian response following the pair of powerful earthquakes that devastated Venezuela in late June.
The church is providing a combined total of $2.8 million to support affected individuals through projects being carried out in collaboration with government and nonprofit agencies.
“Following Jesus Christ means standing beside those who are going through difficult times,” said Elder Juan F. Zorrilla, a church Area Seventy from Caracas, Venezuela, who has been involved in multiple quake recovery efforts.
“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,” Elder Zorrilla said in a recent church press release.
The pair of deadly quakes — magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 — struck northern Venezuela within 39 seconds of each other on Wednesday, June 24. The death toll surpassed 5,000 as of Friday, July 17, according to The Associated Press.
In collaboration with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, the Church of Jesus Christ is providing 5,000 15-day food kits for households. The kits include energy bars, canned goods, cookies, dried milk, bottled water and other nonperishable items.
With Project HOPE, the church is repairing seven health facilities, providing medicine and medical supplies, offering psychological first aid to more than 100,000 individuals and training 230 health staff and civilian responders in emergency response and first aid.
With Catholic Relief Services, the Church of Jesus Christ is also providing:
- Five temporary shelters for 400 people
- 700 household kits containing tarp, blankets, mats and kitchen sets
- 700 water purification kits and 1,075 water filters for families
- Water trucked in for 12,000 individuals
- Ready-to-eat meals for 1,500 people
- 1,075 food baskets for families
- 700 hygiene kits
In addition to these projects, which amount to $2.8 million provided by the church, the Church of Jesus Christ is also continuing to distribute bedding and assistance kits containing food, water and other essential supplies.
The Church of Jesus Christ’s support has “bolstered health services” in five public hospitals in Caracas, Venezuela, by providing medicine, surgical supplies and other items, according to the church’s press release.
These donations are supporting “critical areas, including trauma care, emergency surgery and general hospitalization,” the release states.
Within two weeks after the twin quakes struck Venezuela, the church also donated a satellite internet system to the Vice Ministry of Religion and Cults in La Guaira, Venezuela.
The high-speed, low-latency system works entirely through wireless and satellite technology and will be installed at the vice ministry’s emergency operations center. There, it will strengthen the center’s emergency response capabilities by ensuring continuous communication, even during severe weather or when power or telecommunications fail.
“We are deeply saddened by the recent earthquake that has affected Venezuela, causing moments of uncertainty and concern for many people and families,” the church’s Caribbean Area Presidency wrote in a statement published a day following the June earthquakes.
“We express our sincere support, solidarity and prayers for all those who have been affected.”
Learn more about how service and faith in Jesus Christ are helping Venezuelans following the pair of deadly earthquakes here.
