For children, the impact of an earthquake does not end when the ground stops shaking. Losing a home, becoming separated from family members, missing school and being cut off from familiar routines can cause intense fear and distress. Children and young people who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it may face heightened protection risks. Every effort must be made to keep families together and protect children from separation, neglect, violence and exploitation.
“Children can experience emergencies differently from adults. Beyond the immediate physical danger, losing their home, familiar routines or contact with loved ones can have a lasting impact on their sense of safety and well-being. Our global federation stands with SOS Children’s Villages Venezuela as it assesses the needs of affected communities and leads a locally coordinated response. We will support our colleagues to respond responsibly and effectively, guided by one clear commitment: to protect children, keep families together and help ensure that no child faces this emergency alone.”
Jessica Harmer, CEO and Deepmala Mahla, COO,
SOS Children’s Villages International
SOS Children’s Villages Venezuela has activated its safety protocols and is closely monitoring the safety and well-being of the children, young people, families and colleagues connected to its programmes. The national team is assessing needs and coordinating with local authorities and humanitarian partners to identify the safest and most effective response for children and their families.
As SOS Children’s Villages Venezuela leads assessments on the ground, maintains programme continuity and delivers the initial response, we call on the humanitarian community to prioritize preventing and reducing family separation from the earliest stages of the response.
Humanitarian actors should strengthen support for families so that children can remain in safe and protective family environments. Particular attention must be given to unaccompanied and separated children, including through their rapid identification, family tracing and reunification whenever this is safe and in their best interests.
In view of persistent funding gaps in child protection, we call on the United Nations, humanitarian donors and other partners to provide sufficient resources for child protection services, support for unaccompanied and separated children, and appropriate alternative care during crises. This includes ensuring the continuity of essential services such as family tracing and reunification.
“We are closely monitoring the situation following the earthquakes that have affected the northern part of the country. Our first priority is the safety and wellbeing of the children, young people, families and colleagues connected to our programmes. We are currently applying our safety protocols, monitoring needs and coordinating internally to define the most appropriate response, particularly in child protection, psychosocial support, continuity of care and support to affected families.
We are grateful for the solidarity. All support will be channeled in a coordinated and responsible manner, according to the priorities identified by the team in Venezuela.”
Ilvania Martins, National Director, SOS Children’s Villages Venezuela
SOS Children’s Villages International stands ready to support the locally led response in Venezuela. As we continue to center localization in our responses, international solidarity should strengthen - not replace - local knowledge, capacity and leadership, and we will work alongside local partners to protect children, keep families together and help restore the safety, stability and supportive relationships children need to recover and thrive.