Venezuela: Children and parents speak of fear, sleeplessness and missing their homes one month after earthquakes

Children impacted by the twin earthquakes in Venezuela a month ago said they are missing their homes, schools, and the loved ones and friends who were among the 5,400 people that died in the disaster, said Save the Children. CARACAS, 24 July 2026 – Children impacted by the twin earthquakes in Venezuela a month ago said they are missing their homes, schools and loved ones and friends who were among the nearly 5,400 people that died in the disaster, said Save the Children. In emotive, personal testimonies, children and their parents supported by Save the Children told the aid agency of the risks and hardship of living in tents, with parents worried about their children’s safety, while dealing with their own grief and loss. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes on 24 June destroyed homes and infrastructure across Venezuela with more than 16,700 people injured [1], over 23,300 displaced in transitional camps and thousands more sheltering in informal tented camps, where regular clean water and toilets are very limited [2]. Heriberto*, 7, from La Guaira, was displaced with his family and his dog Deimos the day of the earthquake and said he worries that rebuilding what was lost could take a long time. He recalls fearing for his life the night of the earthquake. “It gave me a terrible fright. Like, "Mom, Mom, I don't want to die!" “One floor became the ground floor. I don't know how that happened. And when I saw everything, all of La Guaira, it was like this, all chipped up, rubble. I think it takes years to repair this. Like years, I don't know.” Despite the upheaval, Heriberto said he is focusing on the things that still bring him joy such as playing with Lego, riding his bicycle and scooter, and spending time with friends. He also holds onto his dreams for his future and for a better world. Heriberto said: What I would love most is if we are all hungry, there would be food” “I would like to be a footballer...I'm also going to be an airplane pilot.” Alba*, 11, who was due to graduate from primary school on 30 June, says the earthquakes transformed her world in an instant, putting the life she knew on hold. “I've never been through anything like this. It feels very strange to be here,” Alba said. “This whole thing has been going by slowly. I thought I was only going to be here for two months, one month and that's it, but no.” She also struggles to sleep. “Sometimes I need more sleep because I get up early every day. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and stay awake.” Marcela*, 33, who was displaced with her four-year-old daughter Emma* said that one of the hardest parts of the earthquakes has been watching the impact on Emma. “Before all this happened, my daughter was always a little girl who watched her cartoons, went to school, a truly calm little girl. Today, everyone who approaches her, she would tell them ‘[my house] it broke,’” said Marcela. “You have to work three times as hard to support them like before because unfortunately they don't have a bed, the same comfort as before. You are adapting little by little to this reality because this reality, it's not a dream.” Parents and humanitarian agencies also report that children and adolescents living in displacement face increasing threats to their safety including a lack of security, privacy and lighting at night, placing girls and women at particular risk. [3] Alba’s mother Rosa Iciela*, 33, said that the crowded conditions leave her constantly uneasy about her daughter’s safety. She said that she tries to keep Alba in sight, but it is difficult. Rosa Iciela said: “At night, people walk or walk, they pass by. You never know who's walking behind you. That's tough, because they're still just girls and it's hard to see because here there are so many people, many men that we've never seen before.” “I think, for all mothers, the greatest fear is that something might happen to their children.” Save the Children’s acting Country Director in Venezuela, Maria Mercedes Liévano, said: “Children in Venezuela remain in limbo as their sense of safety, routine and normality have been ripped away by June’s earthquakes. Children are telling us that they miss their homes, their schools and their loved ones, and many of them are still carrying the trauma and grief of the earthquake with them. “One month on, the disaster may not be making as many headlines, but now is not the time for the world to look away from the children of Venezuela, who continue to live through the earthquake’s impact day after day, with children as young as seven telling us they are worried about the future. “The physical and emotional wounds left by an earthquake of this scale cannot be healed overnight, but children need both immediate and long-term support to ensure that this devastating disaster does not cause long lasting harm. Protection and psychosocial support are urgent priorities, as well as support with healthcare, water, nutrition, and shelter.” Save the Children is on the ground in Venezuela running safe spaces where children can access mental health support and continue learning while schools remain closed, and where those with more significant needs can be referred for individual support. Save the Children is also working with authorities and local partners providing primary healthcare through mobile clinics, distributing hygiene kits, clean water and essential supplies. 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. *Names changed to protect identity Multimedia content package here: www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2SP2JYW4 Donate today to help provide lifesaving support to children in Venezuela – and wherever the need is greatest.