Israel and Jewish groups mobilise after Venezuela earthquake

Israel is preparing to provide emergency assistance to Venezuela after powerful earthquakes struck the country, while Jewish organisations have launched relief efforts for hundreds of displaced members of the local Jewish community.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it is assessing how best to support Venezuela following Thursday’s earthquakes, which caused widespread destruction and prompted fears that the death toll could reach into the thousands.

A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “The Ministry is conducting a situation assessment with the relevant authorities in Israel and is examining the options for assistance.”

Israeli humanitarian organisation IsraAID has also confirmed it is deploying an emergency response team to the South American country.

The organisation said its first team will include emergency response specialists and humanitarian experts currently based in neighbouring Colombia, alongside members of its global emergency response team. Their work will focus on mental health and psychological first aid, water, sanitation and hygiene, and rapid assessments of the humanitarian needs on the ground.

Israeli humanitarian organisation NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief also announced it is dispatching an emergency team to Venezuela.

The volunteer team will include doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and emergency specialists who will work alongside local responders to provide urgent medical and psychosocial support in the critical early stages of the disaster.

Alice Miller, CEO of NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, said: “When a disaster of this magnitude strikes, there is no time to hesitate. Twenty years of experience have taught us that the first hours are what matter most – medically and psychologically alike. NATAN was built for exactly these moments, and we are sending our best team to Venezuela.”

Meanwhile, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) announced it is preparing an emergency aid package worth hundreds of thousands of shekels to support Venezuela’s Jewish community.

The funding will help around 500 Jewish families forced to leave their homes after the earthquakes. Community leaders said many evacuees have taken shelter in Jewish communal buildings, including a school and a community centre.

KKL-JNF chairman Eyal Ostrinsky said: “KKL-JNF is committed to Jewish communities across the Diaspora, which are an inseparable part of our family, both in times of routine and in times of crisis. Just as we stood by the communities in Beit Shemesh, Be’er Sheva, Dimona, and Arad during Operation Rising Lion, after they endured severe damage and tremendous upheaval, we will stand by our brothers and sisters in Venezuela in their time of need.”

According to reports in The Jerusalem Post and Israeli news outlet Walla, there have so far been no reported casualties within Caracas’ Jewish community, although many residents spent the night together at communal facilities following the earthquakes.

The United States Geological Survey said a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck western Venezuela before a second, magnitude 7.5 tremor hit less than a minute later. Predictive modelling suggests the overall death toll could reach into the thousands, although authorities are continuing to assess the scale of the disaster.

US President Donald Trump also pledged American support for Venezuela’s recovery efforts.

Writing on Truth Social, he said: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.

“The USA stands ready, willing, and able to help! I have instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly. We will be there for our new and great friends. Early reports are not good.”

China, Spain and Brazil have also offered assistance as international relief efforts continue.