Venezuela’s earthquakes leave children facing trauma, displacement and food insecurity

The June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela left children like five-year-old Elyas living in shelters, flinching at thunder and confetti guns that recall the sound of collapsing buildings. Psychologists warn that unresolved fear at this age can cause lasting emotional dysregulation. UNICEF estimates nearly 3.9 million children live in the affected zones.

Shelters are struggling to meet basic nutritional needs, with infants like one-year-old Albany losing access to formula and routine foods. Cáritas Venezuela had already found malnutrition above alert levels in two-thirds of monitored communities before the quake. State protection agencies are reported to be severely under-resourced, lacking budget, transport, and social workers.

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