Venezuela emergency appeal and church responses

Bishop Hudson expresses solidarity with Venezuela

On Wednesday 24 June, two huge earthquakes struck in Venezuela within a minute of each other. The death toll stands at 1,450, with thousands more still missing. Many more have been injured or displaced.

Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Chair of the International Affairs Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said:

“I wish to express my deepest solidarity with and prayerful support for all those men, women and children affected by the two devastating earthquakes. The Catholic Church in England and Wales stands alongside our brothers and sisters in Venezuela at this time of immeasurable suffering. We also remember those within our own communities who have family and friends affected by this disaster and who will be deeply concerned for their loved ones. I echo the words of Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas that the people of Venezuela might find ‘comfort in God and in solidarity and charity’.

“We pray for all those who face such hardship, loss, and uncertainty. We encourage support for the humanitarian response through CAFOD’s emergency fund which is helping to provide vital assistance and hope to those in need.”

Bishop Nicholas Hudson
Chair, International Affairs Department
Lead Bishop for Solidarity with the Church Abroad
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Donate

CAFOD, the Church’s aid and development agency, has an emergency appeal for Venezuela. Please visit CAFOD’s website to make a secure donation if you feel you can.

Please see the Catholic Church in England & wales website

Archbishop Sarah’s statement on the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela

As we gather in Belfast for ACC-19, we join with churches around the Anglican Communion today in prayer for the people of Venezuela in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes. We pray for all those who are grieving, or waiting for news of loved ones. We pray for those who have been injured, and all those who are courageously and selflessly supporting the rescue and relief efforts. And we pray too for the churches and faith communities who are offering pastoral care and solace at this immensely painful time. Into the hands of our loving God and in the name of Jesus Christ, we place all those who watch, wait and weep.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Please see the Archbishop of Canterbury’s website

Methodists in the UK respond to Venezuela’s humanitarian emergency

Recent reports indicate that around 1,450 people have lost their lives and more than 3,100 have been injured, with numbers expected to rise as rescue teams reach more affected areas.

Communities, especially in coastal and urban areas, have suffered significant loss of life, homes and livelihoods. Many families remain separated from loved ones, with thousands still missing, and large numbers displaced.

Emergency responders and volunteers, supported by international partners, are working tirelessly to rescue survivors and provide urgent aid. At the same time, local systems are under considerable strain, and access to safe shelter, healthcare and basic services remains a pressing need.

For churches and faith communities, this is a moment to stand in solidarity through prayer, compassion and practical support. The scale of the crisis is immense, and the need for sustained assistance—both immediate and long-term—will be significant.

Our partner church in Venezuela, the Methodist Christian Community of Venezuela (CCMV), is already responding with courage and compassion. Working alongside local churches and organisations closest to the worst-affected areas, they are helping to coordinate relief efforts and bring practical support to those in greatest need. Representatives of the church are travelling today to one of the affected areas, Junquito, where they will connect with another local church and coordinate relief efforts with local shelters who are housing hundreds of people.

Methodists in the Britain are standing with the CCMV through a World Mission Fund solidarity grant of £15,000, enabling this vital work to continue. Together, we are offering not only practical help but also a visible sign of Christ’s love at a time of deep suffering.

This support will provide essential items such as food, water, medicines, blankets and inflatable mattresses, for the hundreds of people who have been left without homes. In the midst of loss and uncertainty, this partnership is helping to bring relief, dignity and hope to communities who need it most.

Please join us in continued prayer for Venezuela. We invite you to reflect and pray using this poem written by Revd Leonardo E. Paredes, Vice President of the CCMV:

In the face of such fragility, love comes into view,
hatred hides, differences grow transparent…
Lies are uncovered, hope rises again from another cardinal direction.
Plans disappear—and new ones emerge…
The word “God” feels closer: in the rubble, in the orphan, in the tears, in the pain,
in the one who risks their life to find life.
And it no longer matters whether life lasts 80 years or 40—
when a single minute is enough to give the very best we have…

Leonardo E. Paredes
28 June 2026

Contributions to the World Mission Fund makes it possible for our partner churches to respond quickly and compassionately in times of crisis. This enables the Methodist Church in Britain to stand in solidarity with our partner churches and organisations around the world.

Find out more about the World Mission Fund and how you can be part of this work of hope, and give today.

Please see the Methodist Church website, which includes a prayer for the people of Venezuela.

Archbishop of Wales urges prayer and practical help for Venezuela

The Archbishop of Wales is urging people to support those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela with practical action and with prayer.

More than 1,700 people have been killed, and many thousands more have been injured and displaced by the earthquakes which struck on June 24th.

The Church in Wales’s partner organisation, Christian Aid, is helping the relief effort.

Mari Tutesigensi, Head of Christian Aid in Wales, said:

“People need blankets, towels, hygiene kits, water, food and psychosocial support. People are experiencing huge loss and distress – people have lost ones, as well as homes and livelihoods, all gone within seconds… You are not far away from us; this world belongs to all of us. These are the times to exercise our global citizenship. Actions of solidarity move us all forward, towards the dignity and happiness that we all deserve. I urge the people of Wales, as I urge people everywhere, to act as citizens of the world today as you remember your brothers and sisters in Venezuela.

“Our partners are already in the hardest-hit neighbourhoods. We’re releasing emergency funds so they can get clean water, food, health kits and shelter to families who’ve lost everything. We’re appealing for support to help them go further, faster over the coming days and months.

The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Revd. Cherry Vann, said:

“No-one could fail to be moved by the tragic human suffering caused by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and we hold the nation of Venezuela in our prayers, asking God to equip and strengthen the rescuers and aid workers and to comfort and protect those who are afflicted. As part of our calling as Christians, we also urge practical and financial support for our agencies such as Christian Aid which are working to help all those affected by the disaster. Their work in bringing hope to people in the most heartbreaking circumstances could hardly be more vital.”

Archbishop Cherry urged churches to support the appeal on Sunday and to invite people to pray the special prayer provided by Christian Aid:

Loving God,

When the earth trembles and homes fall to dust, hold our hearts, God.

When grief shakes families to the core, hold our hearts, God.

Send our hands and feet to help however we can.

Our sisters and brothers in Venezuela live this now.

God of love and mercy, may we match your love in the way we respond – now.

Please see the Church in wales website.