Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, arrived in Venezuela this Tuesday to coordinate international response efforts following the devastating earthquakes of June 24.
The high-ranking OCHA official was received by Raúl Li Causi, Venezuela’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Caribbean, alongside Vanessa May, head of OCHA in Venezuela. Fletcher’s visit marks the highest-level United Nations humanitarian mission to the country since the seismic emergency began.
“We will head directly to La Guaira, to the epicenter where those two devastating earthquakes occurred two weeks ago”, Fletcher stated upon landing at Valencia’s Arturo Michelena International Airport, praising the extraordinary mobilization of global solidarity that has unfolded since the disaster.
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Fletcher expressed admiration for the international response, noting that over 50 urban search and rescue teams from more than 30 countries mobilized rapidly to assist Venezuelan authorities.
“We have seen this extraordinary mobilization of coordinated and practical solidarity. Those teams rose up very, very quickly and have been working together so well“, he said.
Acabo de llegar a Venezuela. Ahora rumbo a La Guaira. pic.twitter.com/SbZXLon8Ms
— Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) July 7, 2026
The UN official called for sustained international commitment to Venezuela’s recovery. “How can we build on the strong coordination we have with local authorities, the first responders here who were part of that first wave of saving so many lives? And how do we ensure there is a sustained commitment from the international community to be here, with and for the people of Venezuela?”, Fletcher asked.
Vice Minister Li Causi welcomed Fletcher’s presence and underscored the Bolivarian Government’s collaboration with UN agencies since the first moments of the crisis. “I reiterated the extraordinary work and coordination we have had from day one with all United Nations agencies”, he stated. “We have placed all our institutions at your disposal for the new phases we are facing in the post-earthquake period.”
Fletcher is scheduled to hold working meetings with members of the National Executive to review ongoing actions and plan the next stages of the emergency response.
The Scale of the Tragedy
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck various regions of Venezuela on June 24, separated by just 39 seconds. The official government balance updated on July 7 reports 3,685 fatalities and 16,740 injured, while search, rescue and community assistance operations continue.
According to the report, 6,462 people have been rescued and 86,794 families have received assistance. However**, 17,907 people remain without housing**, while 856 buildings were affected and 190 structures collapsed entirely. The numbers paint a picture of a disaster that has displaced tens of thousands and destroyed critical infrastructure across affected regions.
The Venezuelan Government has coordinated with international organizations, local authorities and NGOs through the United Nations framework to channel humanitarian aid and deploy rescue teams.
The visit signals a deepening of cooperation between Venezuela and the United Nations humanitarian apparatus during one of the most severe natural disasters in the country’s recent history.
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