On June 24, two massive earthquakes — a 7.2 and a 7.5 — struck Venezuela within 40 seconds of each other. At least 164 people are dead. Nearly a thousand are injured. Buildings have collapsed across Caracas and the state of La Guaira. Families are sleeping in the streets, afraid to go back inside, fearing aftershocks.

And the full toll isn't even known yet.

This is Venezuela's worst earthquake in more than 125 years, striking a country already living through one of the worst humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere, where nearly 8 million people were already in need of help before this latest disaster.

Humanity & Inclusion has been on the ground in Venezuela since 2019. While other organizations are just now mobilizing, HI's teams are already there — embedded in communities, trusted by residents, moving. That head start matters enormously in the first 72 hours of a disaster.

This is what 40 years of emergency response experience looks like in action. HI has been on the frontlines of disasters around the world since 1982 — earthquakes, floods, conflicts — and we know that the difference between life and death often comes down to who's already there when crisis strikes.

Here's what your donation will fund right now:

* Food distribution for families who've lost everything

* Physical rehabilitation for people injured in the collapse of buildings

As HI's on-ground evaluations continue, our work may shift to best meet the needs of impacted communities. With your help, we can adapt quickly.

Humanity & Inclusion specifically focuses on the people disasters leave behind: people with disabilities, the elderly, those with injuries who can't navigate rubble and chaos on their own. In a catastrophe like this, these are the people most likely to be overlooked — and least able to wait.

The next few days are critical. Needs are massive. Families are desperate. HI is already there.

Elizabeth Sellers is the U.S. Director of Development for Humanity & Inclusion, based in Silver Spring, Maryland.