Aftershocks in Venezuela: Cecodap Report Raises Alarms for Children and Adolescents

Cecodap, a child rights advocacy organization in Venezuela, and the Agency for Journalists of Childhood and Adolescence (Agencia PANA), have revealed that in the first two days of the two 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that shook the country on June 24, at least 333 children and adolescents were directly affected. Published on Tuesday and analyzing 154 reports from hospitals and the public between June 24-26, the study notes that due to the scattered nature of the data in the initial phase of the disaster, this figure represents a minimum baseline. According to the report, the vast majority of those affected are concentrated in the state of La Guaira, while detailed lists of the injured, missing, and deceased have been compiled nationwide.

The meticulous analysis confirms that La Guaira state suffered the heaviest damage, accounting for 75.1% of total cases (250 cases), and shows that physical injuries were the largest group among children and adolescents. It was determined that 188 children and adolescents were injured, representing 56.5% of total records, with 126 seeking medical attention from La Guaira and 62 from the Capital Distrito (Caracas) region. The data point to situations where pediatric patients' names were repeated in hospital lists at different centers such as Dr. Domingo Luciani, Catia Peripheral Hospital, and Vargas Hospital, highlighting that this lack of tracking poses a serious risk regarding family separations and uncertainty in medical decision-making authority.

Another dark aspect of the report is that 123 children and adolescents were recorded as missing or unlocated; this number constitutes 36.9% of the total affected. The vast majority of missing cases are again concentrated in La Guaira (110 cases), while a small number of cases were found in the states of Aragua, Yaracuy, Capital Distrito, and Falcón. Cecodap notes that 87 of these missing children were accompanied by their parents or siblings, indicating that entire family units may be isolated or have perished under collapsed structures or in areas where communication was cut off. It was also reported that 24% of the cases were published without age information, complicating search efforts.

Data regarding fatalities show that 14 children and adolescents lost their lives as of the report's cutoff date on June 26; seven deaths occurred in La Guaira, four in the Capital Distrito, and three in Carabobo state. It was stated that half of the deceased died instantly after being trapped under rubble, and Cecodap warned that the death toll may be lower compared to current injuries because rescue teams prioritize finding the living in the initial phase of debris removal. The report also states that due to data access restrictions in hospitals, particularly at Dr. Domingo Luciani Hospital in Petare and health centers within the Libertador municipality, the full situation is not yet clear, but direct observations have been made of children being reunited with their families.

In conclusion, Cecodap calls for the urgent establishment of collaborative and coordinated registration systems between Civil Protection, the health system, and Protection Councils to intervene in this national emergency. The organization also warns that sharing children's and adolescents' sensitive data and photos via insecure channels on social media could increase the risk of human trafficking networks or blackmail attempts, urging extreme caution in the circulation of such information. Although the report has concluded, the compiled data clearly highlights the urgent steps needed to protect children in the post-earthquake process in Venezuela and the existing systemic shortcomings.