Shakira urges world leaders to fund school reconstruction in earthquake‑hit Venezuela

Colombian singer Shakira appealed on Instagram to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to contribute to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a campaign seeking $100 million to rebuild schools in Venezuela after the June 24 earthquakes of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5. She highlighted that more than 430 schools were destroyed, leaving thousands of children without classrooms as the new school year starts in September.

The fund has already received a $500,000 donation from the FIFA foundation, $100,000 from Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and a $5 million pledge from Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney. Other international figures such as Venezuelan singer Danny Ocean, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, UN Deputy Secretary‑General Amina Mohammed and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi have also voiced support. The earthquakes caused 4,490 deaths, 16,740 injuries and displaced at least 18,000 people.

Shakira’s call aims to secure additional resources to reconstruct schools, train teachers and provide books and supplies for Venezuelan students affected by the disaster.