Field Update: What we're seeing on the ground in Venezuela
Updated as of July 7, 2026 5:17 EST
World Central Kitchen is a global nonprofit providing nourishing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. When disaster strikes, our Relief Team is first to the frontlines providing meals when they're needed most.
We’re currently on the ground in Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck in late June. The first earthquake struck at a 7.2 magnitude, with the second 7.5 magnitude earthquake compounding damage less than a minute later. The quakes made buildings sway, collapsing several across the city, with residents evacuating into the streets in search of safety. At least 2,600 people have died, with thousands more missing and injured as search and rescue efforts are underway.
Here’s what we’re seeing on the ground:
A Race Against Time
Thousands of search and rescue teams are working around the clock. Some have traveled from as far as Spain and Qatar. Others are Venezuelan military, firefighters, and small independent teams. Some were once soldiers or first responders themselves and are showing up because they want to help. All of them are racing against time, working through extreme heat and humidity that make already difficult conditions even harder.
Families Who Won't Leave
In front of nearly every damaged building, you can find families waiting. Some are still praying for a miracle, hoping search teams will find their loved ones alive. Others have already accepted the worst, but they stay anyway, setting up tents on the street, unwilling to leave until a body is recovered and their family can say goodbye.
A Long Road Ahead
The search and rescue phase, however long it lasts, is only the beginning. Thousands of families have lost their homes entirely. The next phase—sheltering people, providing clean water, restarting education for children, rebuilding some sense of normal life—will take far longer. Not weeks. Years.
Responding with the Urgency of Now
As communities in Venezuela begin the long road to recovery, WCK teams are serving meals as quickly as possible. With our trusted local partners, WCK has provided tens of thousands of meals, water, and ice to both survivors and the search and rescue teams working to find them. It's not just about food. As WCK founder Chef José Andrés has said, people in crisis often want the same simple thing: someone next to them, so they know they aren't alone.
Neighbors are Feeding Neighbors
What makes our food relief operation possible is our local Relief Team and the strength of on-the-ground partnerships. Restaurants, food trucks, and community organizations have stepped up in a powerful way, cooking for their own neighbors during the hardest moments of their lives. Their knowledge and relationships make it possible to reach people quickly, and that same network will need continued support long after the news cameras move on.
Scaling Up to Reach More Families
WCK’s Relief Team is working with longtime partners in the country to support impacted families. We’re now significantly expanding our earthquake response with the launch of a new large-capacity kitchen and operational hub designed to produce up to 30,000 fresh meals per day for families affected by the devastating earthquakes of June 24.
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Posted Jul 10, 2026, 7:27 PM UTC · locked