UN agencies scale up search-and-rescue, 47 tonnes of UNICEF supplies arrive for Venezuela

UN humanitarian partners told a daily briefing they are scaling up search-and-rescue and emergency assistance in La Guaira and other affected Venezuelan municipalities following a recent earthquake.

The spokesperson said international search-and-rescue operations are operational with more than 50 teams and over 2,300 personnel working alongside national authorities. The briefing warned that a passing tropical wave and heavy rain increase the risk of further collapses and landslides and complicate the delivery of shelter, health and water services.

UNICEF reported that a 47-metric-ton shipment of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela to support children and families. The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care including safe birth and newborn supplies, water purification and storage items, tents for child-friendly spaces and service points, mobility aids such as wheelchairs, and early childhood development materials. UNICEF said this shipment and a regional shipment from Panama will support an estimated more than 100,000 children and families over three months.

UNHCR is supporting local authorities with tools for safe collection and management of the deceased and has moved emergency supplies from its local warehouse with capacity to mobilize more than 20 metric tons from a Panama stockpile. A local UNHCR partner has established a donation collection and storage centre to support distributions.

Agencies emphasized logistics and weather risks and said more resources and unobstructed access are needed to expand assistance; no new international coordination decisions were announced at the briefing.