In the wake of the severe earthquakes in Venezuela, the stream of catastrophic news shows no sign of abating. Misereor’s partner organisations report that the situation for the earthquake survivors is worsening by the day. Misereor’s Venezuelan partner organisation, Cáritas de Venezuela, is providing hundreds of families in the particularly hard-hit dioceses of La Guaira, Caracas and Miranda with food, hygiene items and medical care. Psychological support is also being offered to those who have been traumatised. Misereor is initially providing 50,000 euros for these emergency relief measures and is assessing further assistance for the people of Venezuela.
“Chaotic conditions prevail in the towns and regions affected by the earthquake. Our Venezuelan partners report a significantly higher number of deaths and injuries than has been officially announced. In Venezuela, the figure is now estimated at 4,000 dead and over 50,000 missing. People therefore urgently need further support,” explains Barbara Schirmel, country officer for Venezuela at Misereor. Many families are still spending their nights outdoors for fear of further building collapses. At the same time, the water supply in the affected areas is severely disrupted. The aid provided by “Cáritas de Venezuela” through a network of local teams and volunteers now includes the distribution of tents, blankets, tarpaulins, food parcels, baby formula, hygiene kits and medicines.
“The earthquake is hitting people particularly hard given the already very difficult social, economic and political situation,” emphasises Schirmel. Even before the earthquake, millions of people were living below the poverty line. Around eight million people were dependent on humanitarian aid. This is precisely why long-term support for the population is now crucial to alleviating the suffering of those affected and enabling reconstruction. “People in the affected regions are losing hope and find it hard to believe in a better future. We expect that a great many will leave their homes, leading to increased migration,” says a representative of “Cáritas de Venezuela”.
Misereor relies on donations to provide aid in Venezuela:
IBAN: DE75 3706 0193 0000 1010 10
BIC: GENODED1PAX
Bank: Pax-Bank für Kirche und Caritas
Reference: Venezuela earthquake
