Metallica have once again stepped up to support communities in crisis, with the band’s charitable foundation All Within My Hands donating US$100,000 to aid earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela following one of the country’s worst natural disasters in recent history.
The donation comes after two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude struck Venezuela on June 24th, hitting less than a minute apart (per Digital Music News).
Since then, rescue crews have continued working through hundreds of aftershocks, with the ongoing seismic activity making emergency operations increasingly dangerous.
The funding will be distributed through Direct Relief, a long time partner of the Metallica backed foundation that specialises in delivering emergency medical assistance and humanitarian aid during disasters around the world.
The scale of the crisis continues to unfold, early reports indicate more than 2,000 people have lost their lives, while tens of thousands remain unaccounted for. The United Nations estimates that as many as 6.8 million people may have been impacted by the earthquakes through displacement, infrastructure damage or the loss of essential services including electricity and clean water.
Satellite imagery has also suggested that close to 60,000 buildings have either been damaged or completely destroyed.
Direct Relief is coordinating with local and regional agencies to provide urgent assistance, including emergency medical supplies, hygiene kits, trauma care and medications for people whose regular access to healthcare has been disrupted.
The organisation is also helping deploy Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (BUSF), a specialist search and rescue team from Spain assisting emergency crews on the ground.
All Within My Hands
Established in 2017 by Metallica and its management team, All Within My Hands was created to support workforce education, combat food insecurity and provide disaster relief to communities in need. The band covers the foundation’s administrative costs, ensuring every public donation goes directly to supported programs and charities.
Since launching, the foundation has contributed US$19 million to career and technical education through its Metallica Scholars Initiative, US$8.8 million to hunger relief programs and more than US$6.2 million toward disaster recovery and other community support initiatives worldwide.
Metallica’s latest donation continues the band’s long running commitment to using its global platform to deliver meaningful support when communities need it most.
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