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The UN agency and partners are\u00a0incorporating this risk into response planning as humanitarian operations shift from search and rescue to recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0powerful\u00a0twin earthquakes struck on 24 June causing extensive damage across several states.\u00a0More than 4,000\u00a0people were killed according to international reports, citing authorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile significant response efforts are currently underway, humanitarian needs remain considerable,\u201d said Leah Poggio, IOM\u2019s Chief of Mission in Venezuela, speaking from Caracas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMany displaced families continue to face uncertainty\u00a0regarding\u00a0their housing situation, access to healthcare, and their ability to meet the basic daily needs<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n IOM has\u00a0assisted\u00a0almost 7,000 people in displacement sites and delivered over 10,000 services<\/strong>, including temporary accommodation, healthcare, psychosocial\u00a0support\u00a0and protection assistance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Moreover,\u00a020,000 people\u00a0have received\u00a0some form of\u00a0assistance\u00a0from the government and UN agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n IOM is now\u00a0scaling up\u00a0response through an approach that addresses both the immediate humanitarian needs and longer-term recovery priorities.\u00a0After three weeks,\u00a0response is increasingly shifting towards early recovery.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lucas Guedes Hackradt,\u00a0the agency\u2019s\u00a0Disaster Risk Reduction Coordinator in Venezuela, said the international responders withdrawing from the country are\u00a0mainly search\u00a0and rescue\u00a0teams\u00a0but humanitarians\u00a0remain\u00a0on the ground \u201cand are continuing to scale up their emergency assistance programming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He noted that one of the main concerns is the management of debris, both because of its environmental\u00a0impacts\u00a0and the risk that adverse weather conditions could complicate\u00a0overall\u00a0response.\u00a0<\/p>\n The UN system\u00a0has\u00a0been discussing the potential\u00a0of\u00a0a \u201creally strong El Ni\u00f1o system\u00a0developing,\u201d he said.\u00a0In the Americas, the naturally occurring\u00a0phenomenon causes\u00a0extreme weather conditions such as drought or heavy rainfall.\u00a0<\/p>\n The concern is that El Ni\u00f1o\u00a0\u201ccould hit Venezuela in a moment where people are already displaced\u201d and IOM and partners are discussing how to ensure\u00a0response\u00a0remains\u00a0operational should this happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Against the backdrop of immense needs, IOM has launched an appeal to sustain emergency\u00a0assistance, shelter, access to basic services, and early recovery efforts over the next 12 months.\u00a0<\/p>\nMoving towards recovery<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
El Ni\u00f1o concerns<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Continuous support is essential<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n