Venezuela earthquake disaster
\n Venezuela
\nThe miraculous story of the three-year-old\u2019s rescue in the worst-hit northern region came as tens of thousands of people remained without adequate shelter, after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck less than a minute apart, on 24 June.
\nMultiple UN agencies and partners remain on the ground in the hardest-hit areas working alongside local authorities and aid partners to help families access shelter, healthcare, protection and other essential services.
\n\u201cEvery life matters,\u201d the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, insisted on Wednesday, as national and international search and rescue teams remained on the ground in La Guaira.
\nAlso helping to assess needs, UN Disaster Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) teams are continuing their work to know \u201cwhere and for whom humanitarian assistance is needed\u201d, said UNDAC public information officer Veronique Durroux.
\nIn total, some 1,000 buildings, including hospitals, have been damaged or completely destroyed, along with more than 400 schools and water systems.
\nIn response to the emergency, an initial 47-tonne shipment of humanitarian supplies from the UN Children\u2019s Fund, UNICEF, arrived in Venezuela on Tuesday.
\nThose supplies are in addition to a regional shipment from Panama that arrived on 28 June.
\nCombined, they will support more than 100,000 children and families over three months.<\/p>\n
Urgent funding call
\n\u201cUNICEF is on the ground and working around the clock to reach as many children and families as possible,\u201d said UNICEF\u2019s Gabriel Vockel, speaking in La Guaira. \u201cThe first flights with water, medicine and many other supplies have reached the country and we are grateful for the solidarity. And we ask for donations to UNICEF because with more funds, we can save more lives, reach more children, and reach as many families as possible.\u201d
\nThe shipment \u2013 facilitated by the European Union via the UNICEF logistics hub in Copenhagen – includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment.
\nWater purification and storage supplies have also been delivered, along with tents for child-friendly spaces and wheelchairs. Other recreational and early childhood development supplies that have been sent are designed to help children regain a sense of normalcy and continue learning.
\n\u201cFamilies across the affected states are in urgent need of safe water, as well as access to health care,\u201d said UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Roberto Benes. \u201cMany are sleeping outside, afraid of more aftershocks. These supplies will help us reach children and families with what they need most right now…But the needs on the ground are far greater than what\u2019s arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Venezuela earthquake disaster Venezuela The miraculous story of the three-year-old\u2019s rescue in the worst-hit northern region came as tens of thousands of people remained without adequate shelter, after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck less than a minute apart, on 24 June. Multiple UN agencies and partners remain on the ground in the hardest-hit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-554013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n