Venezuela aid worker reports it’s impossible to grasp the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake from photos or videos

• Humanity & Inclusion responds to devastating Venezuela earthquakes amid growing medical crisis: following an initial needs assessment, our teams are now organising emergency physical and functional rehabilitation support - a crucial intervention in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to care for and provide relief to the injured and prevent long-term disabilities.  
• Strongest earthquake recorded in over a century
• “Social media often exaggerates the scale of disasters, but in the case of La Guaira, I think it’s impossible to grasp the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake from photos or videos.” - Andreina Jota, Humanity & Inclusion’s local staff on the ground.
• “During the short time the team spent at the hospital, we saw the lack of support and equipment available to people whose mobility had been affected. Many people will find themselves living with a disability following the disaster, not only because they have suffered amputations or serious fractures, but also because they cannot be treated effectively.” Andreina Jota.
• Humanity & Inclusion UK launched an emergency appeal to support our life-saving response in Venezuela.

The evening of June 24th had only just begun in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, when two powerful earthquakes violently shook the ground. Two quakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck in quick succession, less than a minute apart, followed by more than thirty aftershocks.

The second earthquake was the strongest recorded in over a century. The epicentre, located less than 200 miles west of Caracas, was at a shallow depth, which amplified its impact.

The consequences are devastating. Preliminary figures already put the death toll at more than 1,450 with thousands more injured, but these figures are expected to rise as rescue teams search through the rubble in the devastated areas, particularly in the state of La Guaira and the Caracas metropolitan area. More than 56,000 people are reported missing, with time running out to rescue people trapped under the rubble.

Humanity & Inclusion is on the ground in earthquake-affected regions, planning emergency rehabilitation and the distribution of essential items (blankets, soap, toothbrushes, etc.) Our priority is to provide an urgent and inclusive response to the affected populations, paying particular attention to the situation and needs of those often overlooked, such as people with disabilities.

Andreina Jota, Humanity & Inclusion’s local staff on the ground in La Guaira, said:

“Social media often exaggerates the scale of disasters, but in the case of La Guaira, I think it’s impossible to grasp the full extent of the damage caused by the earthquake from photos or videos.

The lack of supplies and capacity to respond is devastating; healthcare staff are working with their bare hands and without equipment. They are performing amputations without an anaesthetic because the anaesthetic has run out.

Search-and-rescue operations have shown that the community can build networks of mutual support. Still, the resources available to them are insufficient to cope with the scale of the disaster.

During the short time the team spent at the hospital, we saw the lack of support and equipment available to people whose mobility had been affected. Many people will find themselves living with a disability following the disaster, not only because they have suffered amputations or serious fractures, but also because they cannot be treated effectively.

Some disabilities could be prevented through early intervention, but hospitals currently only have the resources to care for people in critical condition.”  

Notes

Spokespersons

• Beatriz Armada, Humanity & Inclusion’s operations manager based in Caracas

How to donate

Humanity & Inclusion UK launched an emergency appeal to support our life-saving response in Venezuela: https://donate.humanity-inclusion.org.uk/give/Venezuela-appeal
 
Humanity & Inclusion’s emergency response in Venezuela

Humanity & Inclusion has been present in Venezuela for several years and our teams, already on the ground, are preparing to launch an emergency response. Following an initial needs assessment, they are now organising emergency physical and functional rehabilitation support – a crucial intervention in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to care for and provide relief to the injured and prevent long-term disabilities.  

In addition, Humanity & Inclusion is prepared to refocus part of its existing operations to support families who have lost everything in the disaster, particularly in the areas of mental health and psychosocial support, as well as organising distributions of essential items (blankets, soap, toothbrushes, etc.). Humanity & Inclusion’s priority is to provide an urgent and inclusive response to the affected populations, paying particular attention to the situation and needs of those often overlooked, such as people with disabilities.