Emergency Relief and Medical Support on the Ground in Venezuela
A small team of Peace Winds disaster responders arrived in Venezuela this weekend and began relief activities in Caracas in response to two major earthquakes that devastated the country last week. The team has extensive experience in responding to earthquakes, and they are currently working with local partners to assess needs and deliver emergency relief. Needs are immense, and evacuees require supplies such as clean water, hygiene items, and medical supplies and medications.
A larger group of Peace Winds doctors and nurses is also on its way to the disaster zone. They will provide emergency medical support for local health facilities and workers.
The death toll is rising rapidly. At least 1,450 people have been officially registered as dead in the first four days, and the capital city of Caracas and nearby La Guaira have suffered extensive damage. Peace Winds staff and other aid workers are reporting critical humanitarian needs, ranging from clean water and hygiene supplies to shelter and medical care.
Thousands of people are injured, but many clinics and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. There is also a great strain on the health system, and unlicensed students are helping treat survivors in some places. Makeshift clinics have been set up in buildings like schools where workers and volunteers are triaging patients and treating the most severe injuries. In many cases, those with relatively less severe injuries have been unable to get treatment.
In Caracas’ Parque del Este, roughly 8,000 evacuees, many of them young children, are sheltering in tents with no running water and insufficient hygiene. This tent community is being run by evacuees themselves, and survivors are sharing donated supplies and volunteering to help one another. However, there is concern that relief items will be unevenly distributed, with some areas already having a surplus and others having none at all.
The plane carrying the first Peace Winds team was packed with disaster responders from around the world, as well as people flying home to check on their loved ones. Our staff have been humbled by the many words of gratitude they have received from the people on the ground.
We are committed to supporting continued relief and recovery in the weeks and months ahead. Your donations will help make this possible.
