UN News Today 25 June 2026 |

Venezuela quake disaster: UN urges collective effort to help victims 

UN teams scrambled on Thursday in support of the international response to the devastating double earthquake disaster in Venezuela, where buildings lie flattened and people are likely still trapped in the capital, Caracas, and beyond.  

At least 164 people have been confirmed dead and 971 were injured after the powerful tremors hit northern areas late Wednesday less than one minute apart.

It is not yet known how bad the situation is in the worst-hit state of La Guaira.

UN emergency relief chief Tom Fletcher welcomed the many offers of international support:

“I’m really grateful for the solidarity already. Today we’ve been in touch with teams from the US, from the Dominican Republic, from El Salvador, the Swiss are deploying tonight, from Qatar. We’ve got offers from Mexico, China, Brazil, the Caribbean, Syria…the UK, the Russian Federation, Spain, and many more are reviewing their support. To those whose loved ones are currently under the rubble, know that we are going to do our best to make sure that help gets to you and your loved ones. We’re going to move mountains here.”

According to the US Geological Survey, the first earthquake measured 7.2 on the Richter Scale. Its epicentre was near the city of San Felipe, home to some 220,000 people. 

The second quake was registered at 7.5 magnitude and was reportedly the strongest tremor to hit the country in more than 125 years.

The UN aid office, OCHA, announced the rapid deployment of Urban Search and Rescue Teams from across the international community. 

Even before these earthquakes, nearly eight million people in Venezuela were in need of humanitarian support. This disaster risks deepening existing vulnerabilities.

Desperation among Ukraine’s front-line communities

To Ukraine, where there are desperate scenes among communities living on the front line, as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds on.

Thousands of civilians remain trapped by hostilities in highly dangerous areas of occupied Kherson region, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

In a new alert, it warned that people face life-threatening danger, food shortages and a lack of medical assistance.

Discussions on a local ceasefire have taken place between Ukraine and Russia to allow civilians to evacuate, but no agreement has been reached yet.

“There is a desperate need for a local ceasefire so that people can leave and food and medicines can reach those who decide to stay,” said Danielle Bell, head of the Mission.

It noted said that residents from Oleshky and Hola Prystan described a much worse security situation both this year and last. 

This assertion is supported by UN data showing a significant increase in the number of civilians killed and injured by short-range drones in areas controlled by the Ukraine government.

Drone attacks and the threat of a strike have affected access to basic services, essential aid and emergency support, the Mission noted.

At least 29 civilians have been killed and 54 injured in Oleshky and Hola Prystan in 2026 alone. Many of these casualties have been verified by the UN human rights Mission.

Landmines represent the largest threat after drone attacks. 

On 2 June, an aid convoy transporting food and humanitarian aid to Oleshky drove over a landmine as it entered the city. The blast killed one man and injured three others.

Migration agency helped nearly 18 million people worldwide in 2025

Around the world, more than 82 million people are internally displaced and nearly 8,000 people died while on dangerous migration routes in 2025.

Those sobering statistics are provided by IOM, the UN agency which helps migrants and calls for coordinated international action to assist those on the move. 

The agency provides lifesaving assistance across some of the world’s most complex emergencies. 

This includes Sudan, where IOM was the first UN agency to resume operations in Khartoum and reach more than 1.1 million people with humanitarian and recovery assistance. 

Worldwide, the agency supported nearly 18 million people across 170 countries last year.

And as climate impacts intensify, IOM has helped nearly one million people in 34 countries boost their resilience to disaster, supporting governments to integrate mobility solutions into their disaster preparedness and response planning. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News