The UN-backed Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) assessed eight health facilities in La Guaira, Caracas, and Miranda, finding they all need immediate external assistance. Three facilities have structural damage. Reports indicate 2,295 deaths, 11,267 injuries, and 12,841 people displaced or seriously affected.
At Vargas-IVSS hospital in La Guaira, 96 patients are crowded into a ward meant for eight beds. The morgue is at capacity, the blood bank has 35 units, and both trauma unit ventilators are nonfunctional due to power issues. There’s no phone or internet to track patients. Water is delivered by hand several times daily, and medical waste is accumulating in corridors. Despite the building being structurally sound, PAHO prioritizes Vargas-IVSS most urgently.
At Rafael Medina Jiménez hospital, also in La Guaira, bed capacity has decreased from 108 to 35. Assessors noted patient transport issues, supply shortages, long surgical waiting lists, and biosecurity lapses.
Ian Clark of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme highlighted that responders are affected too, with some health workers missing, including a key maternal care coordinator. Venezuela’s health system was already fragile, facing up to a 37% shortage in essential medicines due to prolonged underinvestment and financial crises. Many health workers have emigrated.
PAHO delivered 2.18 tonnes of medicines and supplies to La Guaira, with more aid from Panama. A 48-bed field hospital is operational in La Guaira. WHO released $1.5 million from its Contingency Fund, with another 28 tonnes of medical supplies expected from Dubai. PAHO and WHO have appealed for nearly $24 million for the next six months.
Displacement extends beyond La Guaira. The UN is coordinating aid in eight states, including Zulia, Táchira, and Anzoátegui. Sports venues in La Guaira serve as hubs for essential services. UNHCR seeks $14.85 million to help up to 30,000 people with shelter and aid over six months.
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