Jesuit Missions, the international mission and development arm of Jesuits in Britain, launched an emergency appeal and worked with the Xavier Network of Jesuit organisations to support the response. Jesuits in Britain committed £10,000 in June, increasing this to £50,000 as the scale of the devastation became clear, and supporters across Britain were invited to give through the appeal.
The report, The Earth Shook, the Mission Became One, documents the response coordinated by the Society of Jesus in Venezuela following the powerful earthquakes on 24 June. It records the human cost of the two earthquakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which struck within seconds of each other. More than 6,500 people died, around 226,700 were injured and roughly 24,000 were displaced.
In the face of that devastation, more than 320 organisations and over 1,000 volunteers came together. Jesuit schools and other institutions became centres for the emergency response, helping to coordinate and distribute assistance. The report highlights how educational, social, university, pastoral and humanitarian organisations worked together as part of a coordinated Jesuit effort.
With the immediate emergency phase now coming to an end, attention is turning towards recovery and reconstruction. The report describes the next stage as one of continuing to accompany affected communities as they rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
Txuo Rodriguez Villarroel SJ, Coordinator of the Emergency Response in Venezuela, said in the report: “We must keep accompanying, recovering, rebuilding, and being present where we are needed most.”
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for the people of Venezuela and given so generously. Families will need steady, long-term support as they rebuild their homes and livelihoods. If you are able to, please continue to support the Jesuit Missions emergency appeal for Venezuela.
