Margarita was finishing work at her computer when the shaking began. At first, she thought it might pass. But it didn’t. “We have been very scared,” she says. “We could see people running… looking for a safe place to be.”

What Margarita describes is not just the terror of the moment the earthquakes hit Venezuela last week but the feeling that lingers long after. “The fear remains,” she says, “it stays for a long time. And the fundamental need is to feel that we are safe.”

Two powerful earthquakes, striking seconds apart, have devastated communities across Venezuela. Buildings that stood for generations were reduced to rubble in minutes. More than 2000 people have been killed, tens of thousands are missing, and millions have been affected. For a country already grappling with deep poverty and limited access to essential services, this disaster has compounded an already severe humanitarian crisis.

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At Oxfam, we know that in emergencies like this, speed and coordination save lives. Our local partners have been assessing urgent needs as they look to provide life-saving support – clean water where systems have collapsed, sanitation and hygiene supplies to prevent disease, and psychological support to help people like Margarita cope with trauma.

The impact of disasters goes far beyond the immediate destruction. When homes are lost, when access to healthcare disappears, when........

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