Initiative to provide 6 months of assistance to 680 families

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries are providing ongoing support to people impacted by two earthquakes which struck northern Venezuela* just 39 seconds apart on June 24. The country continues to grapple with the consequences of the disaster. The latest official death toll stands at more than 5,200 people. Nearly 16,800 people have been injured, and more than 17,900 have lost their homes or are unable to return to them.

Furthermore, close to 24,000 people are still being housed in 107 temporary camps, and more than 128,000 families have received various forms of assistance. Over the past month, 1,388 aftershocks have been recorded, 856 buildings have been damaged and 190 have collapsed.

From the very first hours following the earthquakes, Salesian communities in the affected areas opened their courtyards, parishes and educational centers to welcome those who had no safe place to spend the night. The initial response focused on identifying those affected, assessing the damage, and distributing food, water, medicines, and hygiene products.

Salesians have stepped up psychosocial support, child protection, healthcare and emergency education, using their facilities in Caracas, La Guaira, Los Teques, Valencia, and other locations as focal points for the local population, as well as centers for collecting and distributing emergency aid.

Many families have lost not only their homes, but also their livelihoods, their possessions and their support networks. Added to the destruction caused by the earthquakes is the vulnerability that a significant proportion of the population was already experiencing before the disaster

“We always try to bring joy, hope and a small gesture in the form of essential aid to those affected. We hope that many people will continue to support this noble cause from every corner of the world,” explained Salesian Jorge Bastidas, emergency coordinator from the epicenter of the earthquakes in La Guaira.

The Salesian Mission Office in Madrid and its affiliated organization Youth and Development have allocated funds for the emergency response which will support both immediate assistance and initiatives that will enable the gradual restoration of dignified living conditions for the affected population.

One of the main initiatives will provide six months of assistance to 680 families in situations of severe vulnerability in Caracas, La Guaira and Carabobo. This initiative includes food, drinking water, hygiene kits, medicines, and emergency financial support, as well as support for staff from Salesian works and religious communities. Safe spaces for children, psychosocial support services and educational activities will also be set up to facilitate a return to learning.

The reconstruction efforts also include the restoration of infrastructure essential for educational, pastoral and community life. At the La Dolorita Salesian complex in Petare, the earthquakes have displaced the wall supporting the slope, causing cracks and damaging the walls and expansion joints in classrooms. The project involves rebuilding the wall to earthquake-resistant standards, including drainage and anchoring, and repairing the educational and pastoral spaces. This will directly benefit 1,934 people and is expected to take around five months.

At the Domingo Savio Post Novitiate in Los Teques, a technical inspection has revealed bulges, cracks and detachments in a retaining wall. The work will begin with emergency shoring and will continue with reinforced concrete buttresses, the repair of the cracks, and the restoration of the drainage system. The building also houses the activities of the Domingo Savio Youth Center and the Padre Ojeda Salesian University Institute.

Salesians have been in Venezuela since 1894, and know that the response cannot be limited to the first few weeks. The challenge now is to support families over the coming months, protect children and rebuild the spaces from which communities can regain their livelihoods.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Venezuela – A month of grief following the earthquakes, but also of Salesian solidarity with affected families

Salesian Missions – Venezuela

*Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.