Earthquakes in Venezuela leave thousands struggling to access water and sanitation

MAIQUETIA, Venezuela (AP) — Thousands of people affected by devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month face increasing challenges in accessing clean water as well as sanitation and hygiene services.

Families in the worst-affected state of La Guaira have headed to the beach to shower and relieve themselves, and feces now litter parts of once-crowded Caribbean beaches. Others use the little water that has not leaked from their home storage tanks to wash dishes and clean themselves. Many are living in temporary shelters or outdoors after 190 buildings collapsed and another 856 were damaged, according to Venezuelan officials, in successive earthquakes on June 24 that killed 3,811 people.

“We always have water in the tank — preserved water — but with the earthquake, most of the tanks in the homes broke down,” Juliani Herrera, 20, said of the large blue plastic tanks that many Venezuelan families use to store water on days when state-owned utilities service the areas. “Now, we have to wait and see if the tanker comes and fills the buckets.”

Some affected communities only had drinking water service once every month or two even before the earthquakes. In Maiquetia, known as home to the country’s main airport, people lined up on Wednesday to receive a US-flag box containing food, water and toiletries that include soap, toothbrushes and washcloths.

Herrera received one of the boxes distributed at a camp adjacent to the beach. She carried him for several blocks, her chin, upper arm and hand covered in iodine-stained scratches sustained when she fell from a motorcycle while the ground shook violently when the earthquakes struck.

The government of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez estimated that the quakes left about 18,000 people without a home. The displaced are now living in schools, sidewalks, parks, public squares and other public places.

Beatriz Ochoa, regional head of advocacy for Latin America at the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement that improving conditions is necessary to prevent the spread of diseases as people live in densely populated spaces under high temperatures and seasonal rains with limited privacy.

“I saw families doing everything they could to maintain their dignity in very difficult circumstances,” she said. “In one temporary shelter, I saw families organizing themselves to keep common spaces clean, including through makeshift latrines and basic waste management arrangements. Their design is great, but families should not have to bear this burden alone.”

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Rodriguez announced on Wednesday that her government is already working with experts to identify suitable areas “to build new earthquake-resistant homes and cities.” She added that local and international companies were also called for “rapid and efficient construction of housing.”

Rodriguez also said that she had “decided to send a letter, among other things, to the King of England” requesting the release of Venezuelan gold reserves frozen in the Bank of England due to economic sanctions.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction estimated the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at about $37 billion.

UN relief coordinator Tom Fletcher met with Rodriguez and earthquake survivors on Wednesday, when the organization’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued an appeal for nearly $300 million to help 1.3 million Venezuelans in desperate need.

As people like Herrera lined up steps from the sea and waited for the aid box under a bright sky, a shared emotional landscape of exhaustion and disbelief hung over the camp. Among the tents was a hand-painted cardboard sign reading “Ciudad Bendita,” or Blessed City.

“Anxiety always arises when people are silent because you can really see the trauma they are going through,” he said. “In many of the locations we visited today, we saw people not talking, in complete despair, but in other places we also saw children playing football, getting a good meal, so you can see the impact of the humanitarian response as well.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

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