Various international and Belgian organisations have swung into action to help the victims of the two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Oxfam, and Unicef are among thosey setting up operations to provide emergency aid in the affected areas, they told Belga on Friday.
"First, we need to map out exactly what we can do in Venezuela," said Steven De Bondt of MSF. A local team from the international NGO has already distributed around 200 emergency kits in La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas. Over the next two days, the organisation 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 organisation Unicef is also raising funds for local organisations 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," Jonathan Crickx of Unicef Belgium said. "To quickly send planes with relief supplies, we need funding, for which we are launching appeals in Belgium, among other places."
"In the first hours after such a disaster, it is very important to act quickly, because that can save lives"
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 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 DONALDO BARROS / AFP
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