Venezuela earthquakes leave 680,000 children in need of assistance: UNICEF

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Some 680,000 children are among the 1.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance following the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June, the UN child rights agency UNICEF reported on Sunday as rescue efforts continue.

Damage to hospitals, schools, and water systems is exacerbating the situation for affected families, many of whom remain displaced.

The two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, left at least 1,430 people dead and 3,238 injured, according to the latest official count. More than 3,100 families have been affected, while authorities continue to assess the damage and aftershocks maintain uncertainty in the affected areas.

Tweet URL

The search continues

On Saturday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, carried out his first mission to La Guaira, the most state most affected by the earthquake, accompanied by several UN agencies. The visit included a tour of some of the hardest-hit areas and the coordination centre for search and rescue teams.

Together with the authorities, the mission also made progress in identifying locations to install services for families who lost their homes or cannot return to them.

Mr. Rampolla highlighted that, alongside the destruction and the anguish of the families, he found that neighbours, volunteers and rescue teams from around the globe had mobilised in support of the victims.

“At a time when we’re always focused on the bad things happening in the world, here’s a gesture of solidarity from around the globe to support Venezuelans,” he said. 

“The first priority is to get the people still alive out of the rubble, and that’s why supporting and coordinating the teams arriving from all over the world is so important. At the same time, we have to support the survivors.”

Teams from 27 countries, with more than 2,200 rescuers and 140 search dogs, are working to locate people trapped under the rubble, with UN support in coordination.

Writing on social media, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher stressed that “every minute, every hour, counts.”

A representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies described the emotional impact of the search efforts, in which hope, pain, and fear of aftershocks are mixed.

“People haven’t lost hope. Hours pass, but all efforts are focused on saving lives and helping people,” he said. “The sense of community is immense. There’s a strength that comes from the desire to find friends and loved ones, and that’s mixed with pain, with fear because the earthquake is still shaking, and with immense fragility.”

A children’s emergency

UNICEF‘s new estimate reflects a crisis that extends far beyond collapsed structures. For hundreds of thousands of children, the earthquake has jeopardised access to healthcare, safe water, protection, and education.

“Hospitals are operating beyond capacity, thousands of children lack reliable access to clean water, and many schools have been damaged,” said Manuel Rodríguez Pumarol, UNICEF Representative in Venezuela. 

“UNICEF is working with the Venezuelan government and its partners to scale up support for children and families, but sustained funding will be essential to maintain the response in the coming weeks.”

The agency indicated that damage to hospitals in La Guaira, Caracas, Carabobo, Aragua and Falcón is affecting the care of children and pregnant women.

In the Capital District, preliminary information indicates damage to 432 schools, more than a third of the total. Some schools that remain safe are being used as temporary shelters for displaced families.

UNICEF has mobilised additional staff and supplies to reach some 650,000 people, including 234,000 children, with support in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection and education.

The agency’s first flight, carrying 20 tons of medical supplies and water and sanitation equipment, arrived in the country on Friday. A second shipment, from UNICEF’s global supply hub in Copenhagen, is expected in the coming days.

Hospitals at their limit

The earthquake has exacerbated the pressure on the health system. Preliminary assessments compiled by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) indicate that of 21 facilities reported on, three are in critical condition and another six have structural damage or are only partially operational.

Several hospitals continue to treat patients, but with a high demand for trauma, orthopedic, and neurosurgery. Among the needs identified are medications, intensive care supplies, water, electricity, and improved mechanisms for transferring and distributing patients between healthcare facilities.

In La Guaira, the UN has set up three hospital tents with intensive care units, treatment rooms, and trauma areas to expand care closer to the affected communities.

Tweet URL

https://news.un.org/en/media/oembed?url=https%3A//twitter.com/UNReliefChief/status/2071262665381499075&max_width=305&max_height=550&hash=hcZAnYInKdUrsAdDbpsikIppaKG1UpNOsbpfqvpaEaA

PAHO – the regional office of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) – also supports Venezuelan authorities in the evaluation of hospitals, the coordination of emergency medical teams, and the shipment of medicines, trauma supplies, water and sanitation supplies, and other essential items.

The assessments also point to an urgent need for mental health care and psychosocial support for those affected, families searching for missing persons, healthcare staff, and first responders.

From rescue to supporting families

During the visit to La Guaira, the United Nations and the authorities agreed to establish multi-service spaces in two strategic points of the state to support those who lost their homes or cannot return to them.

These spaces will offer food, medical care, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as protection services for children and adolescents as well as prevention and response to gender violence.

As the days go by, the needs multiply. For the affected families, the emergency doesn’t end with the rescue operations: it also means securing safe water, medical care, a place to sleep, and conditions that allow children to recover and resume their learning.