The humanitarian head of Oxfam Intermón, Lourdes Benavides, warns of the "worrying" situation Venezuela is going through: "Children, the most vulnerable group"

"The situation in Venezuela is very worrying," assures Oxfam Intermón's humanitarian head, Lourdes Benavides, in conversation with 'ElConstitucional.es'. The humanitarian emergency caused by the two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that shook Venezuela continues to worsen. According to the latest available data, the toll already exceeds 3,000 dead and more than 16,000 injured, while thousands of people remain homeless and rescue efforts continue. Among the victims are at least 35 Spanish citizens dead, in addition to 140 missing and 11 people located under the rubble.

In this context, Benavides has warned of the magnitude of the crisis and the enormous needs that remain unmet in the affected areas. The expert explains that the emergency goes far beyond material damage and affects practically all areas of daily life. "The needs are truly immense in terms of services of all kinds, especially temporary housing, medical assistance, water and sanitation, and the entire psychosocial aspect," she points out.

Housing, the most urgent priority

Among the needs, the lack of accommodation for thousands of families who have lost their homes stands out. As the head of Oxfam Intermón explains, many people continue to live in extremely precarious conditions. "Many people are struggling to live in tents in squares where they can, or moving to relatives' homes," she states. Therefore, she affirms that "relocating people who have lost their homes is fundamental."

Added to this situation are the risks derived from the lack of access to drinking water and sanitation, especially after the rains recorded in recent days, which could favor the appearance of diseases.

Children, the most vulnerable group

Benavides emphasizes that minors are one of the groups most affected by the catastrophe. According to data handled by humanitarian organizations, around 680,000 children have different protection and assistance needs.

In this regard, Benavides states that attending to this group "is a very high priority; they are probably the most vulnerable group in every sense." Many organizations are already working to restore some normality through temporary educational spaces that allow minors to resume their school routine and cope with the trauma derived from the tragedy.

"Childhood is fundamental", she emphasizes. Likewise, she insists on the need to identify minors separated from their families or who require special protection to guarantee their safety.

Oxfam and NGOs reinforce the response on the ground

The humanitarian response is mainly articulated through the Spanish Emergency Committee, made up of eight organizations: Action Against Hunger, SOS Children's Villages, Educo, Entreculturas, Doctors of the World, Oxfam Intermón, Plan International and World Vision.

These entities work to guarantee access to food, drinking water, temporary shelter, sanitation and psychological support. "From Oxfam we are working on the issue of protection and psychosocial care, starting with all the issues of water, sanitation and hygiene, and we are also looking to support with food," explains Benavides.

The organization carries out its work in coordination with Venezuelan humanitarian entities with extensive experience and local presence. "We channel aid through Venezuelan organizations with technical support in all these sectors to accompany, strengthen and continue conducting needs assessments," she adds.

A crisis aggravated by the country's prior fragility

The humanitarian head recalls that the earthquake has hit a country that was already going through an extremely delicate situation before the disaster. "We start from the premise that Venezuela was already in a complex situation in terms of humanitarian needs," she explains. Close to eight million people needed help before the earthquakes, in a country with an approximate population of 28 million inhabitants.

Deficiencies in basic services such as water, sanitation or health make recovery even more difficult. "In all areas of life, we were already starting from a situation with considerable fragility," she warns.

Risk of social tension

The lack of housing and the difficulties in covering basic needs are generating growing unrest among the affected population. "The issue of housing is generating a lot of unrest," says Benavides, who warns that there are still people living "in very extreme situations, without a roof".

The humanitarian head also warns that the psychological impact of the tragedy could lead to social conflicts. "There is a certain risk now of moments of tension and violence," she points out.

One million euros raised

The solidarity of Spanish citizens has already allowed the collection of one million euros to support the humanitarian response in Venezuela. Asked about Spanish donations, Oxfam's humanitarian head states: "The citizens here are being very generous and hopefully it will continue to be so". In the same way, she recalls that reconstruction will be a long process and that needs will remain high for months.

"All efforts are few and we must be close to Venezuela," she concludes.

Every little bit helps: how to help Venezuela?

Collaboration can be done through different channels:

●      Transfer to ES24 2100 5731 7202 0035 4082

●      Calling 900 595 216

●      With an SMS with the word “JUNTOS” to 28014

●      Bizum code 02076

●      Web https://www.comiteemergencia.org/emergencias/terremoto-venezuela/#donar