News

Hundreds of people displaced by Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes are sharing extremely limited toilets in informal camps, while others are risking returning to damaged homes to use bathrooms despite fears the buildings could collapse.

Aid agencies are racing to deliver hygiene kits and other essential supplies to Caracas and La Guaira, as families sheltering outside face high temperatures in the day and heavy downpours at night, putting them at risk of dehydration, diarrhoea and respiratory illnesses. 

Valentina works with Save the Children in Venezuela. She was in Caracas on the night of Wednesday 24 June when the twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck.

Nearly five days after the twin earthquakes struck, frequent aftershocks on the ground are being felt by Save the Children teams in Venezuela, causing further terror for children.

Gabriella Waaijman, Chief Operating Officer at Save the Children International shares her personal reflections from her visit to the organisation's Regional Leadership Meeting and Forum in Bogotá, Colombia, and why renewed commitment and collective action along with children in the region has never been more important.

Save the Children’s teams and local partners on the ground have reported child deaths and injuries and children have been confirmed separated from their families during evacuations in the capital Caracas and La Guaira – a major port city.

Save the Children is assessing the situation on the ground and working with our staff and local partners to understand urgent needs and support affected families as quickly as possible.

With about 10 million visitors expected in Mexico for the World Cup, strengthening the capacity of frontline personnel to help prevent human trafficking is critical to helping ensure safer environments for children.