Illnesses surge in quake-hit Venezuelan communities as humanitarian crisis builds

In Venezuela's hardest-hit areas, victims of twin earthquakes that struck last month are now grappling with a surge in illnesses, compounding the nation's growing humanitarian crisis. Residents, both those displaced by the quakes and those spared, are flocking to relief services offered by non-governmental organizations.

The United Nations has launched an appeal for approximately $300 million to assist 1.3 million people in urgent need. This comes at a time when, until recently, NGOs in Venezuela were often targets of government repression. Mobile kitchens, clinics, and field hospitals have been set up in public spaces across the northern state of La Guaira, the region most affected by the devastation.

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It is clear at displacement sites that, particularly after two weeks, that people are turning up because they haven't been able to get their other treatments. So, they're not turning up with just the fractures now, they're turning up with those longer-term health needs. And it's vital that we're there for them.

U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher noted that people are seeking treatment for longer-term health needs, not just immediate injuries like fractures. "It is clear at displacement sites that, particularly after two weeks, that people are turning up because they haven't been able to get their other treatments," Fletcher told The Associated Press. "So, they're not turning up with just the fractures now, they're turning up with those longer-term health needs. And it's vital that we're there for them."

Doctors in Catia La Mar community reported an increase in skin conditions and diarrheal diseases. They are also seeing more requests for medications for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These emerging diseases are linked to crowded living conditions and poor water and sanitation, issues that often predated the earthquakes. Irma Echarri, 67, sought treatment for pain in her nose following the earthquakes, highlighting the immediate physical toll. Her home was undamaged, but many neighbors are living in temporary shelters or outdoors after hundreds of buildings collapsed or were damaged, leaving thousands homeless.

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It hurts a lot. It hurts because it hurts.