Venezuela and Colombia Earthquakes
Global Jesuit Solidarity
In Venezuela and Colombia, Jesuits schools, parishes, social centers, and the communities they accompany are recovering from consecutive earthquake disasters June and August. With deep roots in these communities, Jesuit programs continue to accompany those in need and will remain long after the disasters have faded from the headlines.
Global Jesuit Solidarity
Venezuela and Colombia Earthquakes
Join us in supporting the Jesuit emergency response to these devastating earthquakes.
Donations are needed now.
Every Dollar Makes a Difference
We are working with our partners in Venezuela and Colombia—including Fe y Alegría—to provide emergency assistance. Every donation will help our Jesuit partners respond, rebuild, and continue their essential programs.
Earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia
In 2026, a series of earthquakes struck Venezuela and Colombia within weeks of each other, leaving individuals, families, and communites without homes, schools, and safe places to gather.
On June 25, two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within seconds of each other, sending thousands of families into the streets overnight and closing schools across the region for a week. Months later, search-and-rescue operations have now ended, but the crisis has not: thousands of families remain displaced, hundreds of buildings are unsafe to inhabit, and 25 Fe y Alegría schools sustained damage. The Xavier Network, in coordination with the Jesuit Province in Venezuela and our partners at Fe y Alegría Venezuela, quickly organized an international response, channeling immediate aid and consolidating resources to help communities recover in the long term.
Then, on August 10, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, claiming at least 289 lives and injuring more than 4,100 people. Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales, and Armenia were among the hardest hit. Jesuit organizations and local partners in the region moved quickly, launching a rural recovery initiative across seven municipalities in Valle del Cauca to help families rebuild and communities remain on their land.
In both countries, Jesuit programs are working through local partners who know these communities best, moving beyond short-term relief toward sustained accompaniment: rebuilding homes and schools, restoring livelihoods, and helping families and communities heal together, not just recover alone.
The Jesuits' Response in Venezuela
Months after Venezuela's earthquakes, the Jesuits are transitioning from emergency relief to long-term recovery while continuing to accompany affected communities...In Venezuela, the Jesuits have coordinated a relief effort called The Mission Is Venezuela – Emergency 2026, led by the Jesuit Province through its development office and carried out on the ground by Fe y Alegría, Jesuit Refugee Service, and other Jesuit schools, parishes, and social centers with decades of roots in the affected communities. Because these institutions were already present long before the earthquakes struck, they were able to respond immediately: teams have distributed food baskets, medicine, and hygiene and household supplies to the most vulnerable families, and an early operation reached 83 staff families across La Guaira, Caracas, Miranda, and Carabobo with relief kits and emotional support.
Assessments have since identified 25 Fe y Alegría schools with earthquake damage, and a central priority now is repairing and reopening classrooms so that children can return to safe, familiar spaces — accompanied by psychological and spiritual support for students, teachers, and families carrying grief and trauma. Over the next two years, the plan will also help families recover lost income and rebuild their livelihoods, restore identity documents for displaced people and orphaned children so they are protected from exploitation, and strengthen local institutions against future disasters. This province-wide response is being carried out in partnership with the Xavier Network, the global family of Jesuit aid and mission offices, which has committed €1.75 million to see the two-year plan through — a sign of how the worldwide Jesuit community is standing with Venezuela for the long haul.
The Jesuits' Response in Colombia
Jesuits accompany communities and provide immediate aid such as needs like safe shelter, clean water, food, healthcare, and protection for families...In Colombia, following the a magnitude-7.4 earthquake on the morning of August 10, Fe y Alegría Colombia, the Jesuit education movement, mobilized right away even though eleven of its own institutional spaces were damaged, including a children’s development center, an infant home, and the Casa Cultural Freire in Cali.
Across the country, Fe y Alegría schools in Bogotá became collection points for food, hygiene products, and other essential goods — in coordination with the Minuto de Dios Corporation — gathering and delivering 6.5 tons of humanitarian aid so far, while communities in Antioquia and the coffee region collected and sent relief to Cali and to rural areas of Chocó. On the Pacific coast, the Casa Cultural Freire, though damaged itself, has been turned into a supply hub and temporary shelter for local families, and aid has also been channeled to Buenaventura through community networks. Alongside this immediate relief, Jesuit teams are offering emotional accompaniment to those affected through a wellbeing program for families and staff, and have begun the long work of repairing the damaged schools and community spaces. The most pressing needs remain safe shelter, clean water, food, healthcare, and protection for families — and, as in Venezuela, the Jesuits’ deep roots in these communities mean they will remain long after the emergency fades from the news.
In Solidarity with our Partners
How you can help right now.
Our Jesuit partners, including Fe y Alegría, continue to accompany communities impacted by the earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia. We are receiving regular updates from our partners and are participating in a shared response effort coordinated by the Xavier Network. Together with Jesuit NGO’s and mission offices around the world, we are committed to addressing the most urgent humanitarian needs and ensuring that aid reaches the most vulnerable and remains available until all families have recovered from this crisis.
The most urgent needs include safe shelter, access to clean water, food, healthcare, and protection for families.
Donations are needed now.
Other Ways Donate
Donate Stock
You can help us respond to these catastrophes by donating stocks to American Jesuits International. Giving appreciated stock or securities is an especially impactful way to support our mission and our partners. Email us at development@WeAreAJI.org for our investment account information, and we’ll guide you through the process of making your gift.
Donate from your IRA
Donors aged 70 ½ or older can give directly from an IRA, contributing up to $100,000 directly to a charity. This qualified charitable donation exempts you from taxes and can fulfill all or part of your required minimum distribution for the tax year. From your individual retirement account or retirement plan, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can be donated using our EIN: 30-0341787
Bequests and Legacy Gifts
The Jesuits have been working on the margins for nearly 500 years. By including American Jesuits International in your estate plans, you ensure a lasting contribution to our mission which will contribute to the ongoing work of the Jesuits for years to come. Plan your legacy today and make a lasting difference in the world. For more information on creating a meaningful legacy, contact our development team at development@WeAreAJI.org.
Urgent Call for Donations
Following the news of the destructive twin earthquakes in Venezuela, Nate Radomski, Executive Director of American Jesuits International, released a statement highlighting the immediate concerns from our partners and ways for supporters to donate. In his letter, Nate shared:
Even as the earth trembles around them, Fr. Alfredo Infante, S.J., the Provincial of the Jesuits in Venezuela, reminds us of God’s enduring presence in the midst of catastrophe:
“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea.” – Psalms 46:2-3
Please consider donating to this urgent need and standing with the people of Venezuela and Colombia. Your donations allow our partners to quickly offer life-saving assistance in the case of an emergency and to continue accompanying communities as they rebuild their homes, their schools, and their lives.
Stories of Impact
Silvia – El Salvador
A single mother in rural El Salvador, Silvia is building a more stable future through the Cerro de Dios Cooperative, gaining income, confidence, and community support.
Roberto – Dominican Republic
Through Fe y Alegría República Dominicana’s Music for Social Change program, Roberto Capellán gained access to orchestral training and mentorship, transforming a hobby into a pathway toward opportunity and professional music study.
Bernarda – Paraguay
From empowered by Fe y Alegría to confront abuse to empowering women through education, Bernarda exemplifies the message of International Women's Day.
Fr. Danny – Cuba
Reflecting on the work of the Loyola Centers in Cuba, Fr. Danny explains how they “find a green branch in the desert and share it with others.”
Cristina – Mexico
Yomol A’tel – “Juntos trabajamos. Juntos caminamos. Juntos soñamos.” Together we work, together we walk and together we dream.
Suzanne – United States
“Sometimes when you see it in front of your own eyes, it takes on a different approach and you feel it in your heart." Witnessing the work of Fe y Alegría first hand had a real impact on Suzanne Krudys.
Jorge – Argentina
From poetry to soccer, nothing is out of reach for Jorge. Inclusive education programs at Fe y Alegría are opening doors despite his visual impairment.
Mariela – Venezuela
Investing in new sewing machines gives students at the San Javier del Valle vocational school the “right tool for the job” and the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.
Leocadia – Cuba
Through the SIEMBRA and COMPARTE agricultural network, the Loyola Centers in Cuba are giving small farmers like Leocadia new opportunities for economic stability.
Samantha – Malawi
Counseling services at the Loyola Jesuit Secondary School in Malawi are giving students like Samantha a safe space to feel listened to and accompanied.
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