20 Jul 2026

Hidden exploitation risks emerge after Venezuela earthquakes

The humanitarian response to the Venezuela earthquakes must also address the conditions that make displaced communities vulnerable to modern slavery and human trafficking.

Caraballeda Relief Center, La Guaira, Venezuela

A boy runs past tents at the Caraballeda relief center after an earthquake in Venezuela destroys his home in La Guaira on June 29, 2026. Photo by Javier Campos/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Tens of thousands of people have been affected by the earthquakes which struck Venezuela last month. As communities begin rebuilding, another risk can emerge alongside the humanitarian response.

The immediate priority is supporting people with food, shelter, and medical care. Recovery efforts also need to reduce the conditions increasing vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking.

Disasters create opportunities for traffickers to target people facing uncertainty with deceptive transport and job offers.

Displacement can create opportunities for exploitation

Displacement can leave people without a stable income and cut them off from the support they rely on.

Financial hardship and uncertainty can leave people feeling they have few safe options other than accepting unsafe work or moving elsewhere in search of employment. Deceptive recruitment and false promises can become harder to identify in these circumstances.

Children also face heightened risks after disasters. Separation from parents or caregivers and temporary shelter arrangements can remove important safeguards.

Recovery must include protection from exploitation

Access to reliable information and social protection can help people recover without relying on risky employment or migration pathways.

Governments, businesses, and humanitarian organisations have an important role in promoting ethical recruitment and strengthening protections against modern slavery during recovery efforts.

Recommendations to reduce exploitation risks include:

Integrating protections against modern slavery and human trafficking into humanitarian response and recovery planning from the outset.

Identifying people at greater risk of exploitation, including children separated from their families and people displaced by the earthquakes, and connecting them with appropriate protection services.

Establishing safe reporting and referral pathways, so people at risk of exploitation can access support quickly and confidentially.

Providing clear information about trafficking risks, deceptive recruitment, and available support services through trusted community networks.

Working closely with governments, local organisations, and businesses to identify emerging exploitation risks and strengthen protections as communities recover.

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