Two weeks after twin Earthquakes in Venezuela devasted the country, killing an estimated 3,535 people, injuring more than 16,740 and resulting in more than 30,000 people reported missing, churches across the region are partnering with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to raise disaster relief funding.

The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes that hit Venezuela back-to-back on the evening of June 24 were among the strongest to strike the country in more than a century and left behind widespread devastation.

Bishop William Byrne of the Diocese of Springfield urged Catholics to come to the aid of the earthquakes’ victims, encouraging congregations throughout the region to donate to CRS, which works directly with Caritas Venezuela and Jesuit Refugee Service — two humanitarian organizations that provide families affected by the disaster food, shelter and medical care.

“These catastrophic earthquakes have shattered so many lives. The destruction and death toll are beyond devastating,” Byrne said. “As we pray for these victims and their families, I also ask that you prayerfully consider helping them financially.”

The bishop also encouraged local parishes to take up a special collection in coming weeks. Most Holy Redeemer Rev. Douglas McGonagle announced the relief effort in his sermon last weekend and will be beginning to collect donations both at Most Holy Redeemer in Hadley and at the Our Lady of Grace parish in Hatfield.

McGonagle said he had watched drone footage of the earthquakes around the same time the Diocese called on Catholics to donate. He said it’s not the first time his parishes collected donations in the wake of a disaster and he expected the congregation would come together and donate when the second basket is passed.

“I happened to see a drone footage just last week showing block after block after block, in city, after city, after city, of these multi-story apartment complexes that just toppled over like a house of cards and that the U.S Geological Service was predicting huge loss of life,” McGonagle said.

He continued, “We’ve done this before — there was that hurricane that went up throughout Appalachia, and it was one of these situations where we knew it was bad, but then when you started realizing how these whole areas in Appalachia had been completely cut off because of the high water … we’re used to doing this, unfortunately during these natural disasters, but folks are very, very supportive.”

Through its nationwide network of parishes and dioceses, Caritas has already reached nearly 18,000 people with emergency food, hygiene supplies, more than 120,000 liters of safe drinking water, medical supplies and emotional support in Venezuela, according to a Facebook post published by CRS.

CRS wrote that it has “fully deployed” a team of emergency specialists to Venezuela to help Caritas support emergency shelters, water and sanitation in the country.

“From the very first days, parishes have been full of volunteers, and trucks carrying relief are constantly coming and going,” said Nico Meslaoui, CRS regional team lead for emergencies.

Zoralis Moreno, of Easthampton, moved to the United States four years ago and owns Zora’s Catering, a Venezuelan food catering company that serves on Saturdays at the Amherst Farmer’s market.

Speaking over the phone with the assistance of a Spanish-English interpreter, Moreno explained that while she is unaware of any local fundraising efforts for Venezuela, she was glad to hear of the church’s disaster relief fundraising initiative.

“This has been really hard on my country and I’m hoping that the people [of Venezuela] can get all the help that they need,” Moreno said.. “This is a very serious situation … the Venezuelan community is generous and will come together in solidarity.”

Meanwhile, the American search-and-rescue teams that were deployed to Venezuela have “completed their mission” and returned home, joining other rescue groups that also announced their departures this week.

“We are deeply grateful for their service. These highly skilled men and women helped save six lives and brought hope to countless families during Venezuela’s darkest hours. America’s commitment to Venezuela is clear,” said John Barrett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires for Venezuela, during a press conference Tuesday in Caracas.

Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for, according to community websites where people can report their missing loved ones. The official death toll was over 3,500 as of Monday, according to government officials, but that number is expected to continue rising. Last week, a United Nations official said humanitarian partners were in the process of procuring 10,000 body bags.

Families told the Miami Herald they have been searching through the rubble with their bare hands, waiting for rescue teams to arrive. Even as the international teams leave, volunteers and citizens continue to look themselves, hoping for a miracle or to at least recover their loved ones’ bodies.

The U.S. had sent urban search-and-rescue teams from Miami; Miami-Dade County; Fairfax, Virginia; and Los Angeles.

Barrett said aid to Venezuela would continue and that the Department of State’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, DART, “remained on the ground working alongside partners to deliver food, water, medical care, shelter, and other critical assistance to affected communities.”

Over a million pounds of relief supplies have already been delivered as shipments arrive every day, according to Barrett. The United Nations World Food Program has reached more than 18,000 people, he said.

“To date, total U.S. humanitarian assistance related to this response exceeds $310 million. But recovery is about more than emergency aid. As immediate needs are addressed, we are increasingly focused on helping communities rebuild — restoring critical infrastructure, supporting economic recovery, and ensuring Venezuelan families have the tools they need to recover and move forward. Recovery will take time, but the United States is committed to being a reliable partner throughout that process.”

Material from the Miami Herald (TNS) was used in this report.