UNICEF estimates 680,000 children need aid after Venezuela earthquakes; first supplies arrive

UNICEF estimates that 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children and adolescents, require humanitarian assistance following the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. These seismic events are considered the most significant recorded in the country in over a century.

As part of the emergency response, the first air shipment from UNICEF arrived in Valencia on June 27. This delivery contained 20 metric tons of medical supplies, water, sanitation, and hygiene items, along with tents, sourced from the organization's regional warehouse in Panama. A second shipment is expected from UNICEF's global supply hub in Copenhagen in the coming days, aiming to provide support to more than 100,000 individuals.

Preliminary analysis of satellite imagery indicates that nearly one-third of buildings in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, one of the most affected zones, show structural damage. Manuel Rodríguez Pumarol, UNICEF representative in Venezuela, stated, "Three days into the response, the scale of needs is beginning to become clearer. Hospitals are operating beyond capacity, thousands of children lack reliable access to safe drinking water, and many schools have been damaged."

UNICEF reported that hospitals in the states of La Guaira, Caracas, Carabobo, Aragua, and Falcón have sustained severe damage, disrupting medical care for children and pregnant women. Additionally, preliminary information suggests that 432 schools in the Capital District are affected, representing over a third of the educational institutions in the area. In response, Venezuelan authorities are using undamaged schools as temporary shelters for displaced families. UNICEF, in coordination with the Venezuelan government and other humanitarian partners, is expanding its response to assist approximately 650,000 people, including 234,000 children and adolescents, in critical sectors like health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, child protection, and education.