Venezuela is facing a severe humanitarian emergency following two powerful earthquakes that struck the country's central-northern region on 24 June. At least 3,342 people have been killed and 16,470 injured. With tens of thousands of people still unaccounted for, the death toll is expected to increase as search and rescue efforts continue.
An estimated 36,700 pregnant women have been affected by the earthquakes, including approximately 4,000 who are expected to give birth in the next month. The health system is under severe strain, with 38 health facilities damaged, significantly limiting access to essential maternal health services for women and newborns. Maintaining emergency obstetric and newborn care is therefore an urgent humanitarian priority.
The disruption of essential services, overcrowded shelters, family separation, and rising psychosocial distress are exacerbating protection risks, particularly for women, adolescent girls, persons with disabilities, and older persons. In addition, more than 10,000 people are currently residing in temporary shelters, where privacy, lighting and protection measures remain insufficient. Strengthening gender-based violence prevention and ensuring safe access to survivor-centred services is critical.
UNFPA is scaling up its responses to ensure continued access to maternal health services, emergency obstetric care, family planning, clinical management of rape, and gender-based violence prevention and response services. Initial shipments of reproductive health supplies and essential equipment are being mobilized to support affected communities. UNFPA estimates it requires approximately US$10 million to sustain life-saving reproductive health and protection interventions for the first three months of the emergency response.
