Venezuela - Logistics Activities Report - Earthquake Response - June 24 to July 24, 2026

Content

1. Key Findings

2. Context

• On June 24, 2026, two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale struck the north-central region of Venezuela, affecting the states of La Guaira (declared a disaster area), the Capital District, Miranda, Falcón, Aragua, Carabobo, and Yaracuy. As a result, authorities reported 5,546 deaths, 16,740 injuries, and 17,907 people displaced.
• Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía (CCS), the country’s main airport, was partially damaged. During the first days of the response, it was designated, along with the Port of La Guaira, as one of the two main port of entries for international humanitarian aid. Damage to roads was moderate, and traffic to the affected areas was not significantly disrupted.
• The designation of the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía (CCS) as the main entry point for humanitarian aid guided the planning of air shipments. Partners such as DG ECHO, the U.S. Department of State (in collaboration with Airlink and Amazon), and private-sector actors, including UPS, DHL, and FedEx, supported the organization of charter flights. 
• Flight arrivals remained steady throughout the first month; however, humanitarian organizations have already begun evaluating shipments by land from Colombia and by sea to the Port of Puerto Cabello, given that the Port of La Guaira has remained closed for commercial operations. 
• The Logistics Working Group (GTL), led by the World Food Programme and active since the cluster was deactivated in 2025, rapidly expanded its activities and capabilities to strengthen support for the humanitarian community through coordination, the dissemination of logistics information, and the provision of free logistics services through the WFP. These actions sought to streamline the response, avoid bottlenecks, and improve the efficiency of humanitarian logistics operations.

3. Activities of the Logistics Working Group

During its first month of operations, the Logistics Working Group (LWG) provided support to 84 organizations that actively participated in coordination meetings, joint gap and needs analysis exercises, and activities aimed at improving logistics planning for the response.

Coordination

• To facilitate the interchange of plans, logistical challenges, and operational information among partners, the Logistics Working Group (LWG) organized nine coordination meetings during the first month of the response, enabling partners to align operational plans and establish a common communication channel. In addition, the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster held two global conference calls to coordinate international air cargo shipments with United Nations agencies and international NGOs. Furthermore, in coordination with Hulo, two meetings were organized with organizations interested in exploring cross-border shipments from Colombia; these meetings are addressing transportation challenges and potential opportunities.
• The first national meetings focused on providing information about the country’s main points of entry, including their status, operational capacity, and procedures for receiving international aid. The meetings also addressed import and customs processes, road damage, and available options for moving humanitarian cargo.
• The GTL conducted a rapid assessment of gaps and needs with partners to identify operational priorities, common logistics service requirements, and potential constraints to the response. A total of 52 humanitarian organizations responded to the survey. The results provided insight into the geographic and sectoral scope of the response and served as the basis for developing the Concept of Operations and defining the common logistics services to be provided by the GTL. The exercise identified the following as key challenges: a lack of centralized information on imports, customs, and permits; transportation constraints and rising operational costs; the need for shared storage; insufficient coordination and information-sharing among humanitarian actors; and constraints on financial resources and operational capacity in some organizations.
• The GTL, in coordination with OCHA, supported the arrival of humanitarian flights in the country by regularly providing information to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance the visibility of the operations. During the first month of the response, the GTL supported the arrival of 27 flights carrying cargo from 20 organizations, totaling 904 metric tons of humanitarian aid.
• The IMPACCT Working Group provided technical support on customs and import procedures, facilitating coordination between humanitarian actors and national authorities. It also compiled and consolidated the available official information on procedures for importing humanitarian aid and disseminated it through an interim operational guide for humanitarian organizations. It also launched a survey among its partners to identify the main challenges related to imports and customs, with the aim of gathering evidence and developing advocacy messages. The IMPACCT Group continues its advocacy efforts to clarify the import processes and customs procedures that humanitarian organizations can follow. 

Information Management

In the area of information management, the GTL focused on maintaining platforms for information interchange among partners and on providing the most relevant logistical information to support the response planning of each of the organizations involved. 

• The GTL created a website dedicated to the emergency, on which 21 documents were published, including the Concept of Operations, logistics operational guides for accessing shared logistics services, informational materials on procedures for importing cargo into the country, and standard guidelines on unsolicited bilateral donations. These resources made it possible to centralize critical logistical information for humanitarian organizations and provide standardized operational guidance to partners during the initial phase of the response.
• To communicate with the more than 300 people in its network, the GTL maintained a dedicated messaging group and an email list, promoting collaboration and information exchange among partners.
• The GTL updated the shared database of logistics service providers available in the country, including suppliers of humanitarian goods and transportation services. This tool was updated with the ongoing collaboration of partners, who share information about the providers they use. Waste management companies in the La Guaira area were also added to the database to support sustainable logistics. 
• In addition to supporting flight coordination, the GTL consolidated information on the arrivals of humanitarian aid flights with the goal of mapping and reporting the assistance sent by organizations. To this end, it provided continuous updates with a summary of the humanitarian aid received by air.

Provision of Common Logistics Services

• Immediately after the earthquakes, the World Food Programme made free common logistics services available to support humanitarian organizations, streamline the response, and prevent bottlenecks. The first service was provided four days after the earthquake, and since then, the services have been progressively expanded and adapted to the needs of partners.
• The GTL set up storage facilities in La Guaira, the area most affected by the earthquakes, to support the consolidation of humanitarian loading arriving by air, sea, and land from neighboring states. The storage facilities included temperature-controlled options to also meet the needs of the healthcare sector. To support these overland shipments, GTL maintained transportation services from Aragua, Carabobo, La Guaira, and the Capital District, facilitating the transfer of cargo from the main ports of entry used by humanitarian organisations, including Maiquetía International Airport, Puerto Cabello, and Valencia International Airport. Available capacity increased from 1,500 m² in the first few days following the earthquakes to 3,700 m² at the time of this report. 
• During the first month of operations, the GTL, through the WFP, transported 292 metric tons of humanitarian cargo to 16 locations. In addition, it provided two trucks to the authorities in charge of the Vargas Sports Complex collection center to support transportation services.
• In terms of storage, the Logistics Task Force’s warehouses received 1,656 cubic meters of humanitarian goods. In total, 12 humanitarian organizations benefited from the services provided by the Logistics Task Force during the first month of the response.
• The goods managed by the GTL were primarily related to the shelter sector, although items related to health (including temperature-controlled medicines), water, sanitation and hygiene, and early recovery, among other sectors, were also managed.

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