The situation in Venezuela is terrifying
HELP IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY
Hundreds of thousands of people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela are struggling without shelter, clean water and basic services. Finn Church Aid is supporting emergency relief efforts, but additional support is urgently needed.
“I HAVE WORKED through major emergencies across multiple regions. I do not use these words lightly: the humanitarian consequences of these earthquakes are profound. The immediate priority is saving lives and supporting those who have lost everything. The needs are enormous, and support is urgently needed,” says says Jan De Waegemaeker, Head of Humanitarian Assistance at Finn Church Aid (FCA).
“The states of La Guaira, Miranda and Carabobo, where work supported by FCA is focusing, have been hit the hardest.”
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the two consecutive earthquakes have affected the lives of an estimated 6.7 million people. In total the earthquake has been reported to have caused nearly 1,800 deaths so far, and approximately 50,000 people are still missing. In addition, at least 5,000 people were injured in the earthquake, and nearly 16,000 have lost their homes.
I have worked through major emergencies across multiple regions. I do not use these words lightly: the humanitarian consequences of these earthquakes are profound.
According to Jan De Waegemaeker, FCA’s partner in Venezuela, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has now moved into the implementation phase of its emergency response, providing support to families affected by the earthquake.
“Assistance will focus on shelter, cash, essential household needs and support for the most vulnerable households.”
The most vulnerable are children, the elderly, people with disabilities, women and people who have returned from elsewhere to Venezuela, which was already in crisis before the earthquake. According to UNICEF, at least 680,000 children in Venezuela are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 9,800 buildings have suffered at least partial damage. The earthquakes also damaged road networks and transportation links and are still causing power outages. Health services are also difficult to access.
The disaster did not happen in a vacuum. Venezuela was already facing significant humanitarian challenges before the earthquakes.
“The earthquakes have struck communities that were already vulnerable. Long before the disaster, many families were struggling to get by and access basic services. Now, after the earthquakes, thousands have lost homes, livelihoods and the little security they had left. The needs are enormous, and humanitarian assistance is urgently needed to prevent even greater suffering,”, says Jan De Waegemaeker.
The needs are enormous, and humanitarian aid is urgently needed to prevent even greater suffering.
Finn Church Aid (FCA) has allocated 50,000 euros from its disaster fund to help those affected by the earthquake through its partner organization, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The LWF has been working in the country for a long time and began planning its humanitarian aid project immediately after the earthquake.
Venezuela has also experienced more than 300 aftershocks in the past week, which have complicated search and rescue efforts for victims and missing people.
More information:
Head of Humanitarian Assistance, Jan De Waegemaeker
jan.de.waegemaeker@kua.fi