Fr. Edgar Magallanes, S.J., a Jesuit priest and country director of JRS Venezuela, has spent the past two weeks traveling between affected areas in the eastern part of the country, helping coordinate emergency response efforts and meeting families who have yet to receive aid.

The death toll from these earthquakes has surpassed 2,200 people. Thousands more are injured, and tens of thousands now face displacement and a critical need for aid. Families have lost their homes and are now staying in shelters, public spaces, or with relatives.

Within hours of the first strike, the Jesuit Province of Venezuela activated its emergency response, setting up collection centers at a local university and Jesuit high school where food, water, hygiene supplies, and medicines are now being distributed.

“We need a lot of water,” Fr. Edgar said. “The weather is really hot.” In some neighborhoods, some families have yet to receive a single bottle.

The day before he spoke with JRS/USA, Fr. Edgar had met Beatrice, a teacher at the high school- turned-distribution center. She was caring for her 99-year-old father, who was also battling cancer. The family had not received any assistance.

Fr. Edgar and his team brought medicine and stayed to pray with them, administering the Last Rites to Beatrice’s father, who died the next day.

Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing in some of the hardest-hit areas. In several cases, people have been found alive in small air pockets beneath collapsed buildings days after the earthquake.

Fr. Edgar also described volunteers who have traveled across the country to assist, working long hours in difficult conditions.  There are volunteers who slept outside in the early days of the response and returned each day to search for survivors. Some have continued even after being injured.

At the same time, Jesuit schools, universities, and community centers across Venezuela are working together to identify needs and deliver assistance to areas that remain underserved. JRS Venezuela is preparing to expand its response to provide mental health support, legal assistance, and help for families who may need to relocate after losing their homes.

Fr. Edgar stressed that recovery will take time, especially in communities that were already facing economic hardship before the disaster. He emphasized that support must continue beyond the immediate emergency, as families begin the long process of rebuilding.

Join us in standing in long-term solidarity with communities in Venezuela. Your support will help ensure families have what they need in the months ahead.