NGOs warn that Venezuela needs long-term support after earthquakes

Caracas, Venezuela – More than two weeks after Venezuela was hit by a devastating double earthquake, international support is beginning to wane.

As rescue teams and humanitarian workers from around the world rallied to save lives in Venezuela in the wake of the disaster, many returned to their homes with little chance of finding survivors. Media interest has also faded.

But international organizations and local aid workers say the crisis is far from over, and the country needs help from abroad now more than ever.

Since the earthquakes, earthquake survivors have been supported by a coalition of humanitarian organizations and the efforts of ordinary citizens, who can be seen throughout Caracas and La Guaira collecting, transporting and distributing vital medical aid, drinking water and food.

Venezuelan citizens distribute sandwiches to earthquake survivors in La Guaira. Image credit: Alfie Pannell

But with no survivors found within days and many international rescuers already gone, the humanitarian response to the crisis is turning instead to longer-term challenges.

The Pan American Health Organization warned of an increased risk of disease spreading in the wake of the disaster, noting low pre-event vaccination coverage for diseases such as tetanus, yellow fever and measles.

The World Health Organization has also warned that Venezuelan health facilities are ill-equipped to deal with the crisis, reporting shortages of up to 37% of essential medicines due to years of underinvestment.

Infectious diseases can spread easily in the squalid conditions of displacement camps housing nearly 20,000 people displaced by the quake, according to official government figures.

“These people live on the streets, sleep in precarious conditions, and this is where diseases spread,” said Jean Costa, a psychologist who cares for victims in a camp in downtown Caracas.

Many NGOs are focusing their efforts on protecting survivors from new health risks.

“Our post-earthquake emergency response here is focused on ensuring access to primary health care, ensuring access to water, hygiene and sanitation supplies,” Everardo Esquivel, associate director for communications at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told Latin America Reports.

The International Rescue Committee has a mobile health unit that travels between Caracas and La Guaira to provide assistance to local communities.

Housing the homeless

Beyond medical concerns, there is also no clear solution to shelter the 17,907 people unable to return home after the disaster.

“We are waiting to see where they will take us and where they will send us,” said Vladimir Ramirez, a man who lost his home in La Guaira and now lives in a camp in Caracas.

Vladimir Ramírez lost his home in the earthquake and now sleeps in a tent in central Caracas. Image credit: Alfie Pannell

The government announced a US$200 million fund to rebuild homes lost in the disaster, but many have completely given up hope in the state to provide safe accommodation.

“The buildings they built were not good because they stole money and materials and tried to do it as cheaply as possible,” Ramirez said. “Everything collapsed. My house collapsed. It was made of cardboard.”

Even if the government manages to secure the $200 million it says will be released by the International Monetary Fund, the earthquakes caused up to $37 billion in damage to infrastructure, according to the United Nations.

To make matters worse, the damage was done to a country already suffering from a long-term economic crisis.

“Public services like health, education or other services were overstretched before, and now after these earthquakes, services are even more disrupted,” said Esquivel of the International Rescue Committee. “People who were already struggling to make ends meet and who were already struggling to get these basic services are now being more impacted.”

He said that the crisis in Venezuela will not end anytime soon and that the international community must accompany the country in its long-term recovery.

“It is important that the world and the international community step up and continue to provide support and funding for the long-term recovery in Venezuela, and to work long-term with organizations to provide services to Venezuelans in the future,” Esquivel said.

But he also noted that even before the earthquakes, humanitarian efforts in the country were already struggling to achieve their goals. Last year, the UN Humanitarian Response Plan only reached 16% of funding requirements. This year, Venezuela’s Humanitarian Response Plan called for $632 million in funds to achieve its goals, a figure that rose to $932 million in the wake of the earthquakes.

While international organizations are desperately trying to raise money for Venezuela, some of those affected by the earthquake say the only real long-term solution is employment, not aid.

“We want help that gives us a job,” said Reina Romero, a woman from Caracas who cannot return to her home because of the damage. “We don’t want them to give us a bed, a mattress or a TV. We want them to give us a job so we can work hard and buy it ourselves.”

But for Ramírez, the message Venezuela is sending to the international community is simple: “We need our help.”

Featured image description: A building severely damaged by the earthquake in La Guaira.

Featured image credit: Alfie Pannell

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