Key facts
- Overcrowded shelters and lack of clean water are major health risks following Venezuela earthquakes, according to PAHO.
- PAHO is collaborating with Venezuela's health ministry to monitor for outbreaks of respiratory and digestive illnesses.
- Vaccine access is a priority, as Venezuela's coverage was already low before the quakes.
- The country's health system has been significantly weakened by years of economic crisis and healthcare worker migration.
- Authorities have reported over 3,800 deaths and more than 16,000 injuries from the earthquakes.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has highlighted significant health risks, including interrupted medical care, crowded shelters, and insufficient access to clean water, following twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela's northern coast last month. PAHO is collaborating with Venezuela's health ministry to monitor for potential outbreaks of respiratory and digestive illnesses, particularly in temporary shelters housing those displaced by the disaster.
PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa stated that beyond earthquake-related injuries, disruptions to health services, poor sanitation, and reduced access to routine healthcare and vaccinations present the greatest dangers in the coming weeks. He noted that Venezuela's vaccination coverage was already low prior to the earthquakes, making the population in shelters especially vulnerable.
The organization is working to integrate field hospitals and shelters into an early warning system focused on diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, febrile syndromes, and vaccine-preventable illnesses. Ciro Ugarte, PAHO's director for health emergencies, attributed the immediate shortage of essential services to the country's long-standing economic crisis and the migration of healthcare professionals, which has severely deteriorated Venezuela's health system.
Despite criticisms regarding the civilian-led rescue efforts, Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has defended the government's response. Authorities have reported a death toll of 3,811, with 16,740 injured and 17,907 people left homeless. In La Guaira, the most affected state, 300 unidentified victims have been buried, with records being maintained by Venezuela's forensic service for future identification.