Children Celebrate Their Day Amid Earthquake Devastation in Venezuela’s La Guaira

La Guaira, Venezuela- Thousands of children living in tents and temporary shelters in La Guaira, the coastal state hardest hit by the earthquakes in Venzuela, are celebrating Children's Day with support from more than 100 civil society organizations and government agencies.

Volunteers organized recreational activities at various locations along the country's central coast, distributing gifts and humanitarian aid, including hygiene supplies, while providing moments of relief for children displaced by the disaster. Across much of La Guaira, thousands of families continue to live in makeshift camps with tents made of tarpaulin and fabric after devastating earthquakes caused widespread destruction and the collapse of buildings, and businesses, leaving more than 5,300 people dead across the South American nation.

The event highlighted ongoing humanitarian efforts to support displaced communities as operations to recover bodies and relocate families to other regions of Venezuela continue, aiming to ease pressure on the areas with the greatest structural damage.

Around 3.9 million children have been affected by the natural disaster in communities across Caracas and in the states of Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, La Guaira, Miranda, and surrounding areas. "The images we are seeing from Venezuela and the testimonies we hear from our colleagues on the ground are heartbreaking," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell in an interview with UN News.

Unicef warned that the majority of children need urgent and specialized care following the earthquake. The international organization reported that a significant number of those killed or injured were parents or caregivers. "Children are also more vulnerable to serious injuries, as they are less aware than adults of environmental hazards caused by earthquakes, such as falling objects, broken glass, or potential fires," the United Nations Children's Agency said.