Key facts
- Venezuelan communities affected by recent earthquakes are seeing a rise in chronic illnesses and diarrheal diseases.
- The UN has appealed for approximately $300 million to aid 1.3 million people in Venezuela.
- Mobile clinics and field hospitals are being deployed to address the health needs of earthquake victims.
- Many displaced individuals are living in crowded conditions with poor water and sanitation, exacerbating health issues.
- The earthquakes caused significant damage, collapsing 190 buildings and damaging 856 others.
Victims of recent earthquakes in Venezuela are experiencing a surge in health issues, including chronic illnesses and diarrheal diseases, as a humanitarian crisis deepens. The United Nations has launched an appeal for approximately $300 million to assist 1.3 million people in the country, where relief services are now more accessible than in recent years.
Mobile clinics, field hospitals, and kitchens have been deployed in the hardest-hit areas, particularly in the northern state of La Guaira. Doctors are treating an increase in skin conditions and diarrheal diseases, alongside requests for medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. These emerging health problems are linked to crowded living conditions and poor water and sanitation, issues that predated the earthquakes.
Many of the estimated 18,000 people left homeless by the earthquakes are living in temporary shelters, including schools, parks, and public spaces. The back-to-back earthquakes, which killed 3,811 people, also caused extensive structural damage, with 190 buildings collapsing and 856 others damaged. The United States has been the primary provider of earthquake-response aid, with local and global humanitarian organizations working together on the ground.
One displaced individual, Irma Echarri, sought treatment for pain and new prescriptions, while another, Zulbey Reyes, was treated for an inflamed nerve following the trauma. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has estimated the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at around $37 billion. The increased presence and freedom of NGOs in Venezuela marks a contrast to previous government repression.