Venezuela earthquake developments: severe food shortages and fears of epidemic outbreaks
Tens of thousands of survivors suffer from The double earthquake that struck last Wednesday Venezuela There is a severe shortage of food and shelter, according to what the United Nations warned on Tuesday, while health experts warned of the danger Epidemic outbreak in the wake of the disaster that claimed the lives of about 2,000 people.
The successive 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, the most violent to hit Venezuela in more than a century, left tens of thousands missing, putting first responders in a frantic race against time to find survivors under piles of collapsed buildings.
Based on satellite images, the US space agency estimates (NASA) said that approximately 58,870 buildings were damaged or completely destroyed in the affected area.
The weather conditions made the tasks of paramedics difficult, who were forced to suspend the attempt to recover victims at night in La Guaira due to heavy rains that stopped at dawn.
Collapse of basic services
The death toll from the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 rose to 1,943 people, according to what National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez announced, noting that more than 10,500 were injured and 15,000 afflicted, and 6,461 people have been rescued since the start of relief operations.
In the northern state of La Guaira, most affected by the disaster, there is widespread food shortages, basic services have collapsed, communication networks have been largely cut off, and tensions are rising among the population, while aid is still limited, according to what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported.
The Commission launched a campaign to reunite children with their families, while the World Health Organization expressed its fear of the spread of epidemics, denouncing inadequate systems for tracking missing persons and registering victims. The United Nations organization estimates the cost of these measures alone at about 15 million dollars, especially with regard to securing housing for about 30,000 people for a period of 6 Months.
50,000 Missing
According to the United Nations, about 50,000 people are still missing, and it is estimated that the disaster left about 1.2 million tons of rubble in the state of La Guaira, the area most affected by the earthquake.
Immediately after the disaster, the injured and dead were transferred to regional hospitals, but the morgues became completely overcrowded, which led to the establishment of a temporary morgue on the docks.
The situation is not much different in Caracas, where hundreds of bodies are kept in temporary morgues set up inside port warehouses, 40 kilometers from the city center.
Between 60 and 70 funerals are held daily, according to workers who were asked to prepare between 100 and 200 graves.
Pressures on health services
The World Health Organization, citing its acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, reported that 38 hospitals were damaged, including 3 in one case. Critical.
Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier said during a press conference in Geneva that health services are facing enormous pressure, as facilities are working beyond their capacity in the face of the influx of infections.
Lindmeier warned that there is an increasing risk of disease outbreaks, and explained that the disruption of health services and water and sanitation networks, in addition to the displacement of residents, may lead to the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough.
And the situation is getting worse. Day after day in Venezuela, despite international aid for the stricken country to recover from the disaster.
The United Nations Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla del Tindaro, reported that 27 countries sent more than 40 rescue teams, which in total include more than 2,000 rescue workers and other field personnel, along with more than 160 trained dogs.
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