(ANS – Caracas) – One month after the two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck northern Venezuela just 39 seconds apart on June 24, the country continues to grapple with the human, social, and material consequences of the disaster. The latest official death toll has risen to more than 5,200. Nearly 16,800 people have been injured, and more than 17,900 have lost their homes or are unable to return to them. In addition, 23,820 people are still living in 107 temporary shelters, and more than 128,000 families have received various forms of assistance. Over the past month, 1,388 aftershocks have been recorded, while 856 buildings have been damaged and 190 have collapsed.
From the very first hours after the earthquakes, Salesian communities in the affected areas opened their courtyards, parishes, and educational centers to welcome people who had no safe place to spend the night. The initial response focused on identifying those affected, assessing the damage, and distributing food, water, medicine, and hygiene supplies.
As the chances of finding survivors beneath the rubble diminished, the response entered a second phase. The Salesians expanded psychosocial support, child protection, health care, and emergency education, using their facilities in Caracas, La Guaira, Los Teques, Valencia, and other locations as hubs for the local population, as well as centers for collecting and distributing emergency aid. Even so, many people continue to remain near the rubble, hoping to find their loved ones.
Open Doors and Support for Affected Families
“We always try to bring joy, hope, and even a small gesture of support through essential aid to those affected. We hope that many people from every corner of the world will continue to support this noble cause,” said Salesian Jorge Bastidas, emergency coordinator working in La Guaira, near the epicenter of the earthquakes.
The emergency, however, is far from over. Many families have lost not only their homes, but also their livelihoods, their possessions, and their support networks. The destruction caused by the earthquakes has compounded the vulnerability that a significant portion of the population was already experiencing before the disaster.
The Salesian Mission Office in Madrid, MISIONES SALESIANAS, together with its affiliated NGO Jóvenes y Desarrollo, has already allocated more than 350,000 euros for emergency relief. These funds will support both immediate humanitarian assistance and initiatives aimed at gradually restoring dignified living conditions for the affected population.
One of the principal initiatives will provide six months of assistance to 680 highly vulnerable families in Caracas, La Guaira, and Carabobo. The program includes food, drinking water, hygiene kits, medicine, emergency financial assistance, and support for personnel serving in Salesian works and religious communities who continue to accompany the local population. Safe spaces for children, psychosocial support services, and educational activities will also be established to help children return to learning.
This response builds on the work that began in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, when Salesian parishes and centers became places of shelter, storage, and distribution for emergency aid.
Restoring Homes and Salesian Works to Continue Serving Communities
Reconstruction efforts also include restoring infrastructure essential to educational, pastoral, and community life. At the La Dolorita Salesian complex in Petare, the earthquakes displaced and tilted the retaining wall supporting the hillside, causing cracks and damage to classroom walls and expansion joints. The reconstruction project includes rebuilding the retaining wall to earthquake-resistant standards, installing improved drainage and anchoring systems, and repairing the educational and pastoral facilities. The project will directly benefit 1,934 people and is expected to take approximately five months to complete.
At the Domingo Savio postnovitiate in Los Teques, a structural inspection revealed bulges, cracks, and separations in a retaining wall measuring approximately 16 feet high and 164 feet long. Work will begin with emergency shoring, followed by the construction of reinforced concrete buttresses, repairs to the damaged sections, and restoration of the drainage system. The building also houses the activities of the Domingo Savio Youth Center and the Padre Ojeda Salesian University Institute.
The Salesians, who have served in Venezuela since 1894, know that their response cannot be limited to the first weeks after the disaster. The challenge now is to accompany families in the months ahead, protect children, and rebuild the places where communities can once again live, learn, and grow in a safe, familiar, and dignified environment.
Source: Salesianos.info