Disaster relief nonprofit Team Rubicon has activated its Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, for a possible Venezuela earthquake response operation. Around 6 p.m. GMT, on Wednesday, June 24, two powerful earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck north-central Venezuela near Morón, causing widespread damage across Caracas, La Guaira, Carabobo, Aragua, and surrounding areas.
Team Rubicon’s activation of a Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, allows the veteran-led nonprofit to begin logistical planning, staging equipment, identifying potential deployment teams, and preparing for a potential medical response operation in Venezuela.
Should Team Rubicon receive an official request for assistance from Venezuela, it will deploy its EMT Type–1 Mobile Teams to the country, including skilled medical providers with training in emergency and trauma care, maternal and pediatric health, primary care, and endemic diseases. For a Venezuela earthquake response, these providers may deploy as WHO-coordinated medical teams or to strengthen local hospital networks and partner organizations. This may include specialized units to address unique health and medical challenges.
The twin earthquakes constitute a rare “seismic doublet” and are the most powerful earthquakes to affect Venezuela in more than a century. The earthquakes triggered building collapses, damage to critical infrastructure, power and telecommunications outages, and disruptions to transportation and healthcare services, prompting the Venezuelan government to declare a state of emergency. Initial reports indicate fatalities, injuries, significant structural damage, and ongoing search-and-rescue operations, while the full humanitarian impact continues to be assessed.
As of Thursday morning, Venezuela’s interim President, Delcy Rodríguez, had indicated that at least 164 people had died and nearly 1,000 were injured. Modeling from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) predicts a 33% chance that the number of fatalities could be between 1,000 and 10,000, and a 42% chance of fatalities greater than 10,000.
