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.
CARACAS, 7 July 2026 – 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, Save the Children said.
Thousands of people sheltering in tents for the past 12 days are without regular access to safe drinking water, running water and toilets, putting them at risk of skin infections, diarrhea and gastrointestinal illnesses, with children particularly vulnerable. Women and girls are having to manage their periods without privacy, clean water and sanitary products.
In some informal camps, there are only one or two pre-existing toilets, some of which were damaged by the earthquake, shared among hundreds of displaced people. Many people are instead defecating and urinating outdoors, including in places where children play.
Ongoing thundershowers and high daytime temperatures risk exacerbating the spread of infections.
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Gabriela*, 31, is a doctor working with Paluz, a Save the Children local partner running mobile health clinics for people affected by the earthquake.
Gabriela* said: “People are defecating out in the open, whether it's in the woods, behind rubble, or right in the sea, which means that the water that they are bathing in is contaminated. This can cause skin diseases and eye irritations.”
Isabel*, 44, from Caracas was displaced with her husband and three children and now lives in a tent in front of the building in which the family used to live. Her oldest child, David*,9, was already suffering from a kidney problem. David’s condition worsened after the family had to leave their home due to the lack of toilets and poor sanitation in the camp. He received treatment at Paluz’s mobile clinic, supported by Save the Children.
“Mostly you just have to wait for someone else to go before you can go [to the toilet] too," said Isabel. “What I see as a priority is having some portable toilets because bathrooms are a big issue.”
Informal camps are lacking a regular supply of drinking water, forcing families to buy bottled water or rely on donations with families rationing bottled water, fearing it will run out.
Gabriela* said: “Right now people are getting water donations in bottles. But as soon as that water runs out, people will resort to whatever water they can get and we don’t know if that water is filtered, chlorinated, or boiled.”
Some families in La Guaira, the area hardest-hit by the earthquake, are collecting untreated river water to drink, cook and wash, putting them at risk of gastrointestinal infections.
Fatima Andraca, Country Director for Save the Children in Venezuela said:
“With every passing day since the earthquakes in Venezuela, the toll this disaster is taking on children grows. Thousands of children are sheltering outside with no regular access to drinking water, toilets or showers, exposing them to a ticking time bomb of new health risks.
“Women and girls are having to manage their periods without privacy, clean water and sanitary products which is incredibly stressful.
“People in the earthquake affected areas urgently need safe drinking water and latrines and mobile health care if they do get sick.”
More than 3,340 people have been confirmed dead following the back-to-back 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck on 24 June, while about 680,000 children have been affected according to the UN. The earthquake also damaged waste management systems and water pipelines.
Save the Children is on the ground in Venezuela, working with authorities and local partners and is distributing hygiene kits and essential supplies, providing primary healthcare through mobile clinics, running safe spaces where children can access mental health support.
The organisation will also be providing clean water and coordinated child protection services with key stakeholders.
Save the Children is an independent, impartial child rights organisation with our focus on the urgent humanitarian needs of children and families in Venezuela.
Save the Children has been working in Venezuela since 2018. Since the humanitarian crisis started to rapidly deteriorate a few years ago, Save the Children has been scaling its response through local partners to support the increasing number of children in need. Save the Children is delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods support.
*Names changed to protect identity
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