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Since June 24, 2025, Tropical Wave 9 has pummeled southwestern Venezuela, triggering destructive flash floods and landslides across the Andean, Central-Western, Llanos and Zulian regions. The Venezuelan government reports that the extreme weather event has caused two casualties, affected more than 10,000 families, damaged thousands of homes and other properties, and disrupted livelihoods and basic utilities across the region. The rainfall has wreaked havoc in eight states: Apure, Barinas, Mérida, Portuguesa, Tachira, Trujillo and Zulia, all of which need urgent humanitarian aid, and will need to repair and reestablish normal functioning of their roads, power supply, water provision and telecommunications in the wake of the floods.
Immediate humanitarian needs among the flood-affected populations are complex and far-reaching. Access to lifesaving healthcare is limited, especially in areas already struggling with insufficiently trained medical staff and a shortage of essential medical commodities. Flooding has also drastically limited access to safe water, especially in areas where extreme rainfall has damaged water supply infrastructure and polluted natural, clean water streams. Damage to buildings limits access to safe and secure shelter, while damaged roads complicate the distribution of basic provisions. Many are at risk of heightened health issues related to respiratory infections, trauma, wound infections and waterborne diseases, including cholera.
In Mérida state, whose population is among the most devastated, the severe weather event has damaged 25 bridges, 16 of which were completely destroyed, and massive road destruction has left 90% of the affected population—nearly 8,450 families—isolated without access to medical care and with limited access to food, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. Many have taken shelter in temporary housing, though the exact displacement numbers are still unclear. Meanwhile, Mérida state has received the least humanitarian aid in response to the disaster because of landslides and road collapses. However, the government is establishing alternate routes to reach the affected communities.