In displacement, without familiar routines, children lose their sense of safety and stability. With schooling and social services disrupted, their families lack access to crucial support systems when they need them most. Difficult living conditions in overcrowded shelters and uncertainty about the future only add to the strain. In the chaos after an emergency, children and young people need protection from family separation, trafficking, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
When the three earthquakes struck, SOS Children’s Villages – already present in each of the affected areas – sprang into action to meet the urgent needs of children and families. Our support does not end when the immediate emergency is over: we stay alongside children and families as they recover and rebuild their lives.
SOS Children’s Villages’ Humanitarian Funding Pool enables our member associations to move quickly at the critical early stage of an emergency, providing flexible funds before wider resource mobilization is complete. The mechanism turns solidarity across the federation into timely, child-focused action.
Venezuela
The earthquakes hit a country already grappling with a prolonged socioeconomic and humanitarian crisis that has left millions of people struggling to meet basic needs. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which struck within a minute of each other on 24 June, were Venezuela’s most significant seismic event in more than a century. An estimated 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, were in need of humanitarian assistance in the immediate aftermath.
SOS Children’s Villages in Venezuela first assessed the impact on children, caregivers and staff. Psychologists provided remote counselling to children and families experiencing anxiety and fear. Vulnerable households received food parcels, hygiene items, medicines and primary health support, as well as practical information on emergency preparedness, safety and emotional coping. SOS Children’s Villages Colombia joined the response, supporting the rapid needs assessment and longer-term response planning.
For families like Robexis’s, the support was both practical and emotional. The mother of four says her young children worried that their home might collapse, while she struggled to sleep. The earthquake also made it difficult for her to continue selling the cakes she makes to earn a living. Through the SOS Children’s Villages social centre, she received counselling from a psychologist, as well as food and hygiene items, while her children took part in activities to help them cope with the distress. “With that help, I was able to move forward,” she says.
Colombia
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on 10 August caused widespread destruction, particularly in Chocó and Valle del Cauca in the west of the country. Homes, schools and health facilities were damaged or destroyed, disrupting crucial services children and families rely on.
SOS Children’s Villages immediately deployed an emergency team to affected areas, while checking on children, families, staff and programme facilities in Cali and Quibdó. Working alongside authorities and other humanitarian actors, the team identified the most urgent needs and began providing psychosocial and emotional support, essential relief items and protection information.
The response is now extending beyond immediate relief, with a focus on child protection, education in emergencies and early recovery. “We will continue to work tirelessly so that no child is left behind, because for SOS Children’s Villages, children are a priority,” says Ricardo Rico, Director of Innovation, Monitoring and Evaluation at SOS Children’s Villages Colombia.
Indonesia
The island of Flores lies in East Nusa Tenggara, in eastern Indonesia. Across the province, many families face economic hardship, while children continue to experience challenges including malnutrition and limited access to early education. These existing pressures were compounded when a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Flores on 15 August. Thousands of people were displaced, and homes, schools and health facilities were damaged. Landslides and blocked roads also cut off some affected communities.
SOS Children’s Villages has an established presence in Flores, supporting children and young people in alternative care as well as hundreds of families through its family strengthening programme. All programme participants and staff were confirmed safe, and no damage was reported to the facilities.
SOS Children’s Villages Indonesia deployed a team from Flores to some of the hardest-hit areas to assess the needs of children and families and determine where support was most urgently needed. The planned response prioritizes preventing family separation and supporting unaccompanied and separated children, alongside psychosocial support, assistance with basic needs and support for children to continue their education.
Across all three countries, the needs will continue to evolve as communities move from immediate emergency response towards recovery. SOS Children’s Villages will continue working with children and families, adapting its support as needs change and helping ensure that children remain protected and cared for throughout the recovery.