Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
One month after twin earthquakes devastated Venezuela, over 5,000 people have died and more than 23,000 have been displaced, according to Paula Narvaez, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the UN reproductive and sexual health agency UNFPA. She described the human toll as far greater than statistics reveal.
Amid the disaster, women have organized safe spaces for their families and served as frontline responders, while also being personally affected by the crisis, Ms. Narvaez said. However, damaged health facilities, medicine and equipment shortages, insufficient staff, and disrupted basic services continue to hinder healthcare, especially reproductive and emergency obstetric care.
The earthquakes have exposed and worsened existing inequalities in healthcare access. Vulnerable women and adolescent girls remain at increased risk of losing access to vital, life-saving services, even as childbirth continues in emergencies.
Since the crisis began, UNFPA and partners have scaled up efforts by distributing reproductive health kits and supplying medical equipment to 16 health facilities, reaching thousands so far. UNFPA is also working with other UN agencies to improve safety at temporary shelters for women and girls.
Ms. Narvaez emphasized the resilience of Venezuelan communities, urging sustained international solidarity. UNFPA is seeking $10 million to expand its response, having received 40 percent of the required funding so far.