Thousands of pregnant women and new mothers require
access to healthcare, nutritious food and safe shelter one
month after two devastating earthquakes damaged health
facilities and displaced about
21,000 people in Venezuela, Save the Children
said.
T he
UN estimates there are 36,700 pregnant women who have
been affected by the earthquakes, 4,000 of whom are expected
to give birth in the next month, equivalent to about 130
babies born every day.[1]
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The twin earthquakes, of
magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on 24 June, destroying and
damaging dozens of health facilities and disrupting
essential maternal and child healthcare services. Women have
told Save the Children staff that some obstetricians and
paediatricians were among the over 5,000 people killed in
the disaster, leaving families uncertain where to seek care
for themselves and their children.
In La Guaira, which
was hardest hit, the main maternity hospital remains closed
and, while basic care is available, complicated cases must
be referred to Caracas.
Many pregnant women,
caregivers, and their children who lost their homes are now
living in temporary shelters where access to antenatal care,
nutritious food , and clean water and sanitation is limited.
At the same time, many are coping with the traumatic loss of
loved ones.
Research shows that high levels of stress
and anxiety during pregnancy may affect a baby’s brain
development and immune system, increasing the risk of
preterm birth or even miscarriage. Babies exposed
to elevated maternal stress during pregnancy may also
show more fear, sadness and distress at three months of age
than those born to mothers who experienced less stress.
Limited access to nutritious food, uncontrolled infant
formula donations, and reduced antenatal care during
pregnancy also heightens the risk of malnutrition in infants
and increases the risk of preterm birth and low birth
weight.
Yohana, – 23, who is pregnant
with her first child and relies on glasses to see, was alone
at home in one of the hardest-hit parts of La Guaira when
the earthquake hit, causing her building to collapse. She
managed to escape by breaking a window, although she could
not get her glasses until later, adding to her
panic.
“I went out barefoot, just wearing my house
clothes. I lost my glasses…I couldn’t see, or at least I
could see less.
“When the whole house collapsed, I was
scared. At that moment, I didn’t feel that I had hurt [my
stomach], but with all the chaos, I wasn’t sure if I’d
gotten hurt or not. But honestly, all I was thinking about
was getting out alive.”
Yohana
received a healthcare checkup at a mobile clinic run by Save
the Children partner, Paluz in La Guaira.
Meanwhile,
newborn babies and infants living in sodden tents are
falling sick from damp conditions or are at risk of
mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue during the
country’s rainy season. Some mothers living in temporary
shelters say that along with feeling stressed and anxious,
being able to buy nappies and other essential supplies for
their babies is challenging.
Yennifer-,
23, who is breastfeeding her four-month-old baby,
Carmen- , struggled to take care of her own
health after the earthquake. Carmen’s paediatrician was
also killed in the earthquake.
“I couldn’t eat and I
had a lot of headaches. I couldn’t sleep because it felt
like I was shaking. It was difficult for me, and any
movement put me on alert and I felt very
uneasy.”
“Since [Carmen’s-] paediatrician passed
away, that’s a big worry, because now how am I going to find
someone to treat her because there’s no money either,”
Yennifer- said. “Everything feels overwhelming and I can’t
rest”.
Fatima Andraca, Save the Children’s
Country Director in Venezuela said:
“Every day
about 130 babies are born to mothers in Venezuela whose
lives have been turned upside down by the earthquake and who
are dealing with huge amounts of stress. Many are bringing
their newborns into a world of uncertainty, displacement and
disrupted healthcare services.
“We’re hearing
worrying reports of young babies becoming sick in camps
where families are sleeping on damp mattresses exposed to
rain and poor sanitation. At the same time, women are
grieving loved ones, coping with trauma and worrying about
where they can access healthcare after losing trusted
obstetricians and paediatricians.
“Pregnancy and
caring for a newborn can be challenging under any
circumstances. No mother should have to navigate those
challenges while living in a tent, mourning losses and
worrying about whether her child can access the healthcare
they need.”
Save the Children said it is imperative
that pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and their
children, are prioritised in the humanitarian response and
recovery in Venezuela through urgent coordination, adequate
funding, and targeted actions.
Save the Children is
calling on international governments, donors and
humanitarian partners to ensure that pregnant and
breastfeeding women affected by the earthquake have
continuous access to quality antenatal, delivery and
postnatal care, skilled infant and young child feeding
support, nutritious food, safe shelter, clean water and
sanitation, and essential newborn supplies, both now and in
the months ahead.
Save the Children is on the ground
in Venezuela, working with authorities and local partners
providing primary healthcare through mobile clinics,
distributing hygiene kits, clean water and essential
supplies. Save the Children is also supporting parents and
caregivers to access services for small and nutritionally
at-risk babies under six months to help them survive and
thrive, including nutrition assessments for babies, and
breastfeeding counselling and mental health support for
caregivers. The organisation is also exploring potential
support to maternal and paediatric services in coordination
with national health authorities.
Save the Children
has been working in Venezuela since 2019. Since the
humanitarian crisis started to rapidly deteriorate a few
years ago, Save the Children has been scaling up its
response through local partners to support the increasing
number of children in need. Save the Children is delivering
health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter,
water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and
livelihoods support.
In Aotearoa
New Zealand, Save the Children is raising much-needed
funds to support the response in Venezuela. To donate, go
to: Venezuela
Earthquakes Appeal:
https://venezuela-earthquakes.savethechildren.org.nz/
-Names
changed for
anonymity
