South Florida relief efforts continue one week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela

One week after devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, relief efforts in South Florida continue at a steady pace.

Rows of cars have remained lined up at the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Doral, where volunteers are collecting donations of non-perishable food, tents, and diapers to send to the disaster zone.

"As of this morning, three planes have landed, and aid is being distributed," said Francine De La Rosa, a member of the GEM Executive Board. "Over 171 pallets have been unloaded from those planes and nearly 8,000 family necessity kits."

Video provided by the organization shows the kits—containing canned food, water, and hygiene products—being distributed directly to earthquake victims.

"It has essential supplies for the family, and they can be just taken from the truck and into the hands of the people who need them most," De La Rosa said.

More supplies are currently in transit, and De La Rosa said she hopes the current momentum will sustain long-term recovery efforts, noting that rebuilding the most affected areas could take years. She emphasized that financial donations remain the most effective way to help.

"The money will be used to buy supplies locally. It's also more efficient," she said. "It lets us get more supplies, more quickly, into the hands of the people that need it."

Aid groups like the International Rescue Committee (IRC) had already been operating in Venezuela to address the country's ongoing economic crisis. Representatives say the earthquake has significantly exacerbated pre-existing humanitarian concerns.

"People already had very limited access to healthcare, very limited access to food," said Nicole Kast of the IRC. "Food insecurity affected almost two million people before this incident."

"We're already starting to see people desperately searching for food, looking for where they can find something to be able to feed their families," Kast added.

During a visit to the GEM warehouse to greet volunteers, U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez emphasized the scale of the destruction.

"We know there are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people homeless," Gimenez said. "We don't know how many thousands, unfortunately, have lost their lives."