Fòs Feminista Responds to Devastating Earthquakes in Venezuela

New York, NY — Last night, twin earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast near Caracas — the worst to hit the country in nearly 60 years. At least 164 people have been killed and nearly 1,000 injured, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts reach the hardest-hit areas. Widespread disruptions to electricity, transportation, and communications are compounding an already fragile humanitarian situation — one in which communities are largely relying on civil society and each other for support.  

Fòs Feminista has been in close contact with its partners in Venezuela since the earthquakes struck. Their teams are safe, though some staff members have lost homes and are still accounting for family members. Despite this, they are already responding — opening their facilities that remain structurally sound to people who have been injured, providing urgent essential supplies, and coordinating to maintain access to sexual and reproductive health care for the communities that depend on them. Every year, Fòs Feminista’s Alliance delivers more than 3 million sexual and reproductive health services in Venezuela. With the public health system severely overstretched, our partners are the only reliable source of contraception and SRH care in the country. In a crisis, that responsibility doesn’t disappear. It grows. 

Fòs Feminista is mobilizing support for the health workers on the front lines of this disaster — the nurses, doctors, and care providers showing up for their communities even as their own lives have been upended. Donations will go directly to sustaining our partners’ emergency response and supporting affected staff. 

In response to the earthquakes, Giselle Carino, CEO of Fòs Feminista, issued the following statement: 

“Our hearts are with the people of Venezuela and with the partners and health workers who are already on the ground responding. Even in the middle of a personal crisis, these are the people who show up. They are proof that access to sexual and reproductive health care does not pause for emergencies — and neither do we. We are committed to standing with them as they work to sustain care for the communities that need it most.” 

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Fòs Feminista is an international feminist alliance centered around sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Together with more than 200 local organizations across the globe, we engage in healthcare, education, and advocacy to advance our agenda. This includes providing sexual and reproductive health services and implementing community-based strategies that make sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women, girls, and others at the margins. We also engage young people with comprehensive sexuality education and provide care to survivors of gender-based violence. We stand alongside our partners in the streets, in the courts, and in other advocacy spaces as an unapologetically feminist voice, resisting injustice and advocating for gender equality and reproductive rights locally and globally. 

Contact: mkesler@mrss.com