CARACAS, Venezuela — Pastor César Mermejo, President of the Evangelical Council of Venezuela, shared first observations while updating fellow global evangelicals on the devastating earthquake in the country, describing widespread destruction and urgent humanitarian needs.
In a Zoom call, Pastor Mermejo told fellow worldwide evangelicals that while official figures place the confirmed death toll at around 1,700, unofficial estimates currently put it closer to 10,000. He urged fellow believers to respond collectively, saying the crisis cannot be addressed by a single person, organization, or church alone. “All these cannot be done by a single man or a single organization or a single Church but by the Global Church,” he said.
Pastor Juan Cruz, President of the Latin American Alliance, said assistance is urgently needed across the affected areas. He said the alliance plans to work with local churches and support responders on the ground.
Pastor Mermejo, along with leaders from the Evangelical Council of Venezuela, visited the devastated areas on June 28th and reported directly on the disaster’s impact during the update. He said, “entire neighborhoods had been reduced to rubble, with many homes completely flattened. He added that thousands of families have lost everything and are living without electricity amid extreme heat, while also grieving loved ones.”
In his report on Sunday’s visit to assess the situation in affected areas, Pastor Mermejo said that churches have become “makeshift places of refuge, with pastors helping transport people who need medical attention to church locations.”
He said Churches are coordinating transportation for injured victims and taking them to mobile hospitals and clinics. They are also providing food for the families.
WEA officials and alliance leaders used the Zoom meeting to learn about the support efforts needed. The session ended with a prayer led by Dr. Peirong Lin, WEA Chief of Staff, and Cinthia Hieber, a board member of the Association of Evangelical Churches of Paraguay.
WEA calls on believers worldwide to stand with Venezuela through prayer and support for victims and responders, including help with food, clean water, medicine, shelter, and hope for families in need.
To respond to the needs, kindly donate: https://worldea.org/hope-for-all/ (Kindly mention ‘Venezuela’)
To learn more about how other alliances are responding visit: https://worldea.org/crisis-our-alliances-responding/
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