3.9 million children live in areas hit by earthquakes in Venezuela, estimates Unicef

Images show a family protecting themselves and panicking during an earthquake in Venezuela
Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund) estimates that around 3.9 million children and adolescents live in the areas affected by the earthquakes that hit Venezuela last Wednesday (24). According to the organization, thousands of families remain at risk due to the damage caused by the tremors and the possibility of new tremors.
The earthquakes hit Caracas and the states of Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, La Guaira and Miranda. According to the agency, dozens of buildings collapsed, with children among the victims.
LIVE: See the latest earthquake updates
✅ Follow g1's international news channel on WhatsApp
"The images we are seeing from Venezuela and the reports we are hearing from our colleagues on the ground are devastating," said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. "As the extent of the damage becomes clearer, the safety, security and well-being of children must remain at the center of the response."
The organization said it works with Venezuelan authorities and partner organizations to identify the most urgent needs. The objective is to increase the affected population's access to medical care, protection, psychosocial support, drinking water and safe spaces.
Before the earthquakes, the organization's humanitarian appeal for Venezuela in 2026 was US$137.6 million. At the time of the tremors, only 35% of this amount had been financed.
Read more:
Earthquake in Venezuela: death toll rises to 1,719
One of Unicef's partnership specialists, Letizia, lived through both earthquakes and had to run to her house to worry about her daughters.
"A few days ago, I was in the office when the earth started to shake. My first concern was whether my young daughters were okay. When I got it returning home, the impact was huge. Now they have cleared part of the area and are removing the rubble, but obviously it was devastating. Fortunately, I found my daughters. But not all parents were as lucky. And not all children were as fortunate. health, water and sanitation.
"These children need to feel safe and calm again. They need to return to school, to safe and welcoming spaces, where they can meet their friends and resume a normal routine", he states.
Volunteers search for survivors amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by earthquakes in Caraballeda, in the state of La Guaira, Venezuela, on June 28, 2026.
Miguel Medina/Pool/AFP

Source: G1