Two massive back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela Wednesday night, killing at least 164 people, injuring nearly 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings. Many Venezuelans inside the country and in the diaspora still don’t know the whereabouts of family members and loved ones.
In South Florida, multiple initiatives have been started to collect and deliver humanitarian aid into the country.
One of them is Doral's Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) working in partnership with We Love Foundation.
“We call to all the Venezuelan and Latino people here in Miami to put a hand to your heart and think of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters, because they really need us," said Francine De La Rosa, executive board member for GEM.
READ MORE: 'Terrifying': Venezuelan diaspora's desperate search for information after deadly earthquake
GEM is collecting and assessing food, water, hygiene supplies, medical necessities and other emergency relief items to send to Venezuela as soon as possible. De La Rosa said they already have people on the ground and should be able to get aid to affected areas in the next 24 to 48 hours. The organization is also working in partnership with Venezuelan aid groups like Caritas Venezuela and local Jewish community groups to set up centers in Caracas where people can receive the aid collected.
In the meantime, De la Rosa said the best help they can get is in the form of donations to the campaign fund so that they can send to partner organizations in Venezuela and get more immediate assistance to those affected. You can donate to GEM here. GEM is also accepting volunteers at their Doral headquarters at 1850 NW 84th Avenue, Suite 100.
Another fundraising campaign comes from the Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce, or the VACC Foundation, a nonprofit organization of Venezuelan-owned businesses in Doral. They are raising funds to support the emergency response and relief efforts like the distribution of food, water, medicine and shelter for affected families.
“The solidarity of our community is essential during moments like this. We invite Venezuelans, friends of Venezuela, and partner organizations to join this effort and help those who need it most at this time,” the VACC Foundation stated in a press release. You can donate to VACC here .
Additionally, UNICEF USA is also mobilizing efforts toward emergency response in Venezuela. They aim to provide emergency supplies for children and families impacted by the earthquakes, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services and health and nutrition support. You can donate UNICEF USA here.
Other efforts led by Venezuelans inside the country consist of websites used to track missing family members and loved ones.
Websites like Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela and Venezuela Te Busca are being widely circulated for people to register their loved ones with a name, picture and last known location and help find others on the site.
Venezuelans inside the country are also sharing through social media written lists of names and ID numbers in specific communities in Caracas, with celebrities like singer Danny Ocean resharing them for visibility.
