UNITED NATIONS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians continue to scale up support for communities devastated by last month's earthquakes in Venezuela, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
OCHA said it continues to coordinate the complex relief efforts in the South American country. More than 100 aid organizations have reported carrying out over 2,200 response activities, from the delivery of hot meals to the distribution of tents, across 14 states, to support people affected by the earthquakes and address pre-existing needs.
OCHA and partners have coordinated the receipt and distribution of over 525 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including food, health items, shelter support, and water and sanitation assistance. Relief efforts remain concentrated in La Guaira, the state hardest hit by the earthquakes, said the office.
Venezuelan authorities report that nearly 5,000 people have been killed and more than 16,700 injured since the earthquakes struck on June 24.
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are scaling up assistance in La Guaira. Since the start of the response, the World Food Programme has reached nearly 74,000 people with food assistance. The International Organization for Migration reports that nearly 7,000 people have received assistance through collective sites and temporary camps, where camp management services, health care, protection support, water and sanitation assistance, psychosocial support and other essential services continue to be provided, said OCHA.
Before the earthquakes, the 2026 humanitarian response plan for Venezuela aimed to assist 5.5 million people with 632 million U.S. dollars. Following the disaster, an additional 300 million dollars is needed to support 1.3 million people affected by the earthquakes over six months, bringing total requirements to 931 million dollars. To date, less than 40 percent of that amount has been received, leaving a gap of nearly 570 million dollars, said OCHA. ■
