Venezuela: "Thousands of families displaced & infrastructure destroyed - Presser | United Nations

“Thousands of families have been displaced, while homes, health facilities, water systems and other critical infrastructure have been damaged or destroyed,” said Lia Poggio, Chief of Mission in Venezuela for the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Briefing reporters in New York today (16 Jul) while speaking virtually from Caracas on the aftermath of the 24 June earthquake and subsequent aftershocks, which struck seven states, Lia Poggio said La Guaira was hit the hardest among them. IOM has launched a 12-month appeal to fund lifesaving assistance, shelter support and early recovery efforts, Poggio said. For three weeks, she continued, IOM has worked with Venezuelan authorities, UN partners and humanitarian organizations through a coordination mechanism set up with the host government. To date, the agency has assisted almost 7,000 people in displacement sites, Poggio noted, delivering over 10,000 services including temporary shelter, health care and psychosocial support. “While humanitarian assistance remains essential, the response is increasingly shifting towards early recovery,” she said, citing housing, infrastructure and livelihoods as priorities “to helping families and communities move forward with dignity and hope.”