UN agencies warn of escalating humanitarian needs in Venezuela a week after the two earthquakes
United Nations relief agencies have warned of escalating humanitarian needs in Venezuela, a week after the two earthquakes that struck the country, stressing that tens of thousands of those affected still lack adequate shelter as relief and rescue operations continue.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported, in a statement, that humanitarian needs are witnessing a significant increase, at a time when the Venezuelan authorities indicate that the death toll has risen to about two thousand dead, and that approximately 6,500 people have been rescued from under the rubble.
She explained that United Nations agencies intensified their response to the crisis, as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) airlifted relief supplies sufficient for about 100,000 people for three months, while the UNHCR provided shelter centers for the displaced.
She added that the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is coordinating the work of international search and rescue teams in the affected areas, while the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team continues to conduct an assessment of urgent needs in the most affected communities.
The United Nations indicated that the two earthquakes caused damage or destruction to about a thousand buildings, including hospitals, in addition to more than 400 schools and parts of water networks, which increases the challenges facing relief efforts and restoring basic services.
