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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Disasters & Emergencies

Earthquake Survivors in La Guaira Relocate to Other Venezuelan States, UN Monitors

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Earthquake survivors in Venezuela's La Guaira state are relocating to other regions less affected by the disaster, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
  • OCHA is assessing how to support displaced individuals who have moved to states like Táchira, Zulia, and Delta Amacuro.
  • With search and rescue operations winding down 11 days after the earthquakes, the focus is shifting to providing assistance to thousands of affected people, including managing debris and temporary shelter.

Survivors of recent earthquakes in Venezuela's La Guaira state, the region hardest hit by the disaster, are increasingly moving to other parts of the country that sustained less damage, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported Sunday.

What we are seeing now is that there are increasing displacements to states that have not been affected.

— Veronique DurrouxDescribing the movement of earthquake survivors.

Veronique Durroux, a spokesperson for OCHA in Latin America and the Caribbean, told EFE that displacements to states such as Táchira, Zulia, and Delta Amacuro have been observed. OCHA is currently evaluating the support it can offer these individuals.

Eleven days after the earthquakes, Durroux noted that search and rescue operations are diminishing, and the focus is shifting to other pressing needs. "There are many needs; we are talking about a large-scale disaster," she stated, emphasizing that as rescue teams decrease, attention must turn to assisting the thousands affected.

There are many needs; we are talking about a large-scale disaster. As the number of search and rescue teams decreases, we see that attention must be paid to all aspects of assistance to people, which are thousands and thousands.

— Veronique DurrouxHighlighting the shift from rescue to broader humanitarian assistance.

According to Venezuelan Education Minister Héctor Rodríguez, 10,702 people are currently housed in 79 temporary camps established after the June 24 earthquakes. Durroux indicated these camps are intended for short-term stays of about a month, after which the situation for the displaced will need further assessment. She also highlighted the significant challenge of debris management and requested the international community not to forget Venezuela's situation.

The magnitude of the destruction is impressive, and we need to see what can be done. There is also an issue of debris management, what will be done with it. We are also supporting the evaluation there.

— Veronique DurrouxDiscussing the long-term challenges following the earthquakes.

The latest government figures report at least 2,954 deaths and 16,592 injuries, though the number of missing persons remains unconfirmed. Separately, the citizen initiative 'Desaparecidos Terremoto Venezuela' has registered over 31,000 people who remain unaccounted for.

We ask the international community not to forget the situation in Venezuela.

— Veronique DurrouxAppealing for continued international support.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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