Caracas, Venezuela – More than a month after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, girls face risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, disruption to education and reduced access to essential services, according to Plan International, a UK-based NGO.
The organization warns that these risks do not end once the immediate emergency has passed. As countries move into recovery, weakened protection systems and disrupted support networks could create new vulnerabilities for all children, especially girls.
“Girls, especially adolescent girls, are more exposed to sexual exploitation, violence and domestic work, while adolescent boys face the risk of being recruited into criminal groups,” said Yesica Serrano, regional child protection advisor for Plan International’s humanitarian operations in Caracas.
“In emergency situations, the protective environment for children is weakened. Caregivers are under enormous stress, and this is precisely the moment that trafficking networks and other perpetrators take advantage.”
Plan International said adolescent girls who have been separated from their families, whose caregivers have died or who are hospitalized face the greatest risk of exploitation and abuse.
At least 5,546 people died in this earthquake, and the number is likely to increase as thousands are still missing. About 24,000 people are living in temporary shelters, according to government figures, and many others remain refugees, staying with relatives or living in makeshift camps near damaged homes.
Post-earthquake living conditions are increasing some of these risks. Plan International says some families are reluctant to move into organized shelters because of concerns about overcrowding, privacy and safety. Many temporary sites lack separate toilets for men and women or private spaces for women and girls.
Diana Hernández, from La Guaira, the region hardest hit by the quake, said she did not want to move to a shelter after her home collapsed, despite the difficult circumstances where she is currently staying and caring for her children.
“I don’t want to go to a shelter in an area I don’t know. That would be a disaster,” she said.
Rumors of the dangers children face and reports of sexual assault were enough to convince her to stay in a large tent donated by the Chinese government near her home.
Although there are few facilities and no formal showers, Hernández said he prefers to stay there because he knows the people around him and the military provides security around the small makeshift camp.
“I want to rent an apartment, but I need a safe place, a safe neighborhood, not a dangerous place,” she said.
Andreina, a 26-year-old mother who has been living in the square with her husband and young daughter since June 25, raised similar concerns.
“I’d rather be in a square where I know the people around me than go to a huge place where I don’t know who’s in and who’s out,” she told Plan International.
But Plan International says protection concerns extend beyond the immediate safety of accommodation and urgent needs such as food, water, flashlights and shelter. They say essential items for women and girls, including sanitary pads, are often overlooked.
Education is another concern. Venezuelan schools are currently on summer break, but Plan International said the earthquake left thousands of children missing from last school year. Several school buildings are currently being used to house displaced families, raising uncertainty about whether classes will resume when the new school year begins in September.
For many children, school is not only a place to learn, but also a safe space that provides daily support and support after a traumatic event. Prolonged interruptions run the risk of removing one of the few structures that help children recover.
Plan International warns that recovery funding must go beyond rebuilding homes and infrastructure.
The organization said it has been providing emergency support, including child protection services, psychosocial support, hygiene kits, emergency education activities and primary health care, through local partners in affected states since the first days after the earthquake.
Without ongoing support, girls and other vulnerable children risk being overlooked as attention shifts from emergency response to long-term recovery, the organization warns.
Featured Image Description: A girl displaced by an earthquake sits with a box of belongings in Caracas.
Featured image source: Plan International
