Venezuela: International and Belgian organizations provide emergency aid for victims

Various international and Belgian organizations have swung into action to help the victims of the two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Oxfam, and UNICEF, among others, are actively setting up operations to provide emergency aid in the affected areas, the organizations told Belga on Friday.

"First, we need to map out exactly what we can do in Venezuela," clarifies Steven De Bondt of MSF. A local team from the international NGO has already been able to distribute around 200 emergency kits in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas. Over the next two days, the organization plans to distribute even more kits and, with local partners, assess what further assistance can be provided.

The Belgian branch of the UN children's rights organization UNICEF is also raising funds for local organizations to support families, especially children, in the disaster area. "In the first hours after such a disaster, it is very important to act quickly, because that can save lives," explains Jonathan Crickx of UNICEF Belgium. "To quickly send planes with relief supplies, we need funding, for which we are launching appeals in Belgium, among other places."

Oxfam does not have a large office in Venezuela, but several aid workers have reportedly arrived in affected areas to assess the population's needs. "Here in Belgium, we are raising money to help our colleagues in Venezuela and the support team from Colombia," says Belinda Torres Leclercq of Oxfam Belgium. While they also usually provide water and sanitation, Oxfam expects that in the event of such a disaster, there will also be a great need for materials to accommodate people, such as shelters, blankets, and mattresses.

_{| © PHOTO AFP Donaldo BARROS}