UN to assist 500,000 in shelters after Venezuela earthquakes

The United Nations anticipates providing assistance to half a million people in shelters established after last week's earthquakes in Venezuela, according to Stephanie Hochstetter, the director of the World Food Programme (WFP) for the country. Hochstetter spoke via videoconference from La Guaira, the epicenter of the seismic disaster that has claimed at least 1,719 lives and injured 5,034, according to Venezuelan government figures.

The WFP has already distributed emergency food packages to 1,200 individuals and expects this number to grow significantly in the coming months. Consequently, the agency has launched an initial appeal for $50 million, though Hochstetter cautioned that this amount "will not cover the entirety of the disaster."

"The need for food, potable water, shelter, and basic services is immediate and critical," Hochstetter warned. Beyond ready-to-eat meals, the WFP is supplying food for cooking in homes where residents can still prepare meals but face difficulties accessing supplies. The UN agency has 3,000 metric tons of food available for distribution within Venezuela, which it expects can sustain over 10,000 families for two months.

Local purchases are also underway, leveraging the availability of food within Venezuela. The WFP is coordinating with its team in Colombia, which has stockpiles that can be rapidly reassigned. "The earthquakes have affected many families, some of whom already had difficulties affording basic food, and now, with their livelihoods destroyed and infrastructure severely damaged, many face the very real danger of falling into an even more difficult situation," Hochstetter lamented, particularly highlighting concerns for more remote communities where the earthquake's consequences could be worse due to limited assistance.

Hochstetter noted the WFP's operational point in La Guaira was established at the request of the government, and she emphasized the full collaboration with Delcy Rodríguez's administration.