Thousands in need after deadly disaster
It was a typical evening in Venezuela on June 24. Motorbikes buzzed along the dusty streets of Caracas past restaurants, noisy street vendors, and families enjoying supper in their homes. Fourteen miles underground, intense pressure was building between two tectonic plates. At 6:04 p.m., the plates slipped past each other releasing a magnitude 7.2 shockwave near Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city. Only 39 seconds later, an even larger magnitude 7.5 quake struck!
Motorbikes swerved to the side of the road. Street vendors stood dumbfounded as their wares spilled from the tables. High-rise apartment buildings swayed, then thundered to the ground, belching dust into the chaotic streets. A CAM contact shared, “We didn’t know what was happening—the power went out, there was no signal, and the shaking began. Everyone rushed to leave the apartment building to find a safe spot. The elevators jammed, so we had to use the stairs; people were running and falling, and many elderly individuals couldn’t get out in time. Others remain trapped under the rubble.”
When the shaking stopped, wailing could be heard from beneath the mountains of rubble. Recovery teams are in a race against time to rescue people from the twisted mess before they die of injuries or thirst. At the time of this writing, the United States Geological Survey says likely tens of thousands of people were killed. Jorge Rodríguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, says the earthquakes are “the most disastrous event this republic has suffered in the last 123 years.”
Satellite imagery indicates that more than 58,000 buildings are damaged or destroyed. Many people are staying with neighbors and relatives or simply sleeping outdoors because their homes were destroyed. Damage to roads, water systems, grocery stores, and hospitals leave many people without food, clean water, medical care, and other necessities. One contact said, “We are asking for help from kind-hearted people who wish to assist . . . . The situation is critical because, regrettably, the country lacks the necessary resources and machinery to handle this. We are ready and waiting to receive and distribute any aid you send—whether it be personnel, medicine, mattresses, water, food, or simply a helping hand.”
Although the majority of people in Venezuela identify as Christian, many do not walk with the Lord or follow Christ’s teaching. This earthquake presents an opportunity to demonstrate vibrant Christianity while many people are thinking about God and eternity.
Our response
We and our contacts wish to use this time to present the Good News to the suffering people of Venezuela as we assist them with much-needed aid. In recent months, we have been gearing up for a large-scale literature distribution in Venezuela. Large quantities of Bibles, Bible story books, and other literature are stockpiled near the affected area in Venezuela, ready for distribution. Along with other aid, these will be distributed to earthquake victims as well. We praise God for His hand in arranging this when we had no idea a deadly crisis was on the horizon!
Donations to this project will also be used to support a team of conservative Anabaptists assisting with disaster cleanup. Their church group has a vision to plant a church in Venezuela, so they hope to use this opportunity to plant the seeds of a future conservative Anabaptist church.
We are budgeting $1.5 million to respond to the needs in Venezuela. If you would like to help, your donation will provide food, Christian literature, portable water treatment systems, hygiene supplies, temporary shelters, and other assistance to the people of Venezuela in their time of need.
