June 27, 2026

Gustavo partners with UNDP for Venezuelan relief efforts

CLICK HERE to Support Earthquake Recovery for Venezuelan Communities

https://www.every.org/undp/f/helping-venezuelan-communities

Statement from Gustavo

My beloved Venezuela, friends from all over the world, I want to share with you all that, in order to channel the international aid and donations I have been promoting, I have signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) so that all the support obtained reaches those who need it most immediately. The UNDP has been working tirelessly in the country for over three decades and knows the country's reality in detail.

At the same time, I am organizing a large-scale international concert and other activities in support of my Venezuelan brothers and sisters, with the aim of securing the greatest possible amount of resources and humanitarian aid for our country at this critical time.

You can make your donations starting today through the link I am sharing with you here. Every contribution, no matter how small, is vital. Dear Venezuela, we will overcome this!

Official Press Release from UNDP

On 24 June, powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela, leaving a trail of devastation across some of the country’s most populated regions. Families lost loved ones, homes, livelihoods and access to essential services. The disaster caused an initial estimated US$6.7 billion in direct physical damage, with approximately 1.7 million buildings located in areas exposed to significant ground shaking, underscoring the scale of the crisis.

Behind these figures are communities facing uncertainty and the difficult journey of rebuilding their lives.

Recovery is about more than replacing what was lost. It is about helping people restore their livelihoods, regain access to essential services, rebuild their communities and create the conditions for a safer, more resilient future.

Resilience is built not only through infrastructure, but also through people, culture and community. After a disaster, rebuilding trust, hope and a sense of belonging is as important as rebuilding physical structures. Music has the power to bring people together, strengthen social cohesion and support healing in times of crisis.

That is why UNDP is joining efforts with renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, building on 24 years of partnership, trust, and sustained support (since 2002) with El Sistema in Venezuela to mobilize support for communities affected by the earthquakes. For more than two decades, UNDP and El Sistema have worked together to promote social inclusion, youth development and a culture of peace through music. Today, this shared commitment is helping bring hope and support to families and communities as they begin their path toward recovery.

Your support can make a real difference. Every contribution helps communities restore livelihoods, rehabilitate essential services, strengthen resilience and create opportunities for children and young people to recover, reconnect and thrive.

Together, we can help Venezuela recover, rebuild stronger, and create opportunities for a more resilient future.

UNDP is about to distribute a press release with the main initial findings, which we will share soonest, but in the meantime, also sharing some key messages:

Scale of the impact

  • According to a rapid UNDP assessment, the earthquake that struck Venezuela on 24 June caused an estimated US$6.7 billion in direct economic damage — around 6% of the GDP of the affected states (IMF reference).
  • It hit some of Venezuela's most densely populated and economically important areas: roughly 1.7 million buildings were located in zones exposed to significant ground shaking, raising the risk of prolonged disruption.
  • This preliminary estimate reflects direct physical damage only — primarily to housing and other built assets.
  • Indirect economic disruption and longer-term reconstruction costs are not yet included and will be added as more data becomes available; total impact is typically 1.5–3 times the direct damage.

How UNDP does it

  • In the aftermath of a crisis, the speed and accuracy of information are critical to guide effective response and recovery.
  • UNDP's AI-powered rapid assessment tool (RAPIDA) helps identify potentially affected areas, gauge the scale of impact, and support decision-making during the critical early-recovery window — combining satellite imagery, seismic modelling and population data.

Why it matters

  • The response is about protecting lives and livelihoods — and about restoring what was lost by building back stronger and rethinking development strategies with resilience at their core.
  • Early-recovery investments can help prevent the emergency from becoming a longer-term development setback.