Venezuela quake recovery enters health crisis as dust, water and debris risks grow

Bogota,UPDATED: Jul 29, 2026 19:00 IST

More than a month after Venezuela's powerful earthquakes, residents in the worst-hit areas are facing growing environmental and public health risks as recovery continues. In La Guaira on the northern coast, heavy machinery is still clearing debris, dust from collapsed buildings hangs in the air, families are living outside unsafe homes, and water trucks are moving through damaged streets.

Experts told The Associated Press that the next few weeks will be critical to prevent fresh crises linked to rubble, contaminated water and disrupted health services. Government figures say the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes on June 24 killed more than 5,000 people, injured nearly 17,000 and left almost 18,000 homeless. Authorities have not said how many people are still missing, though estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. The World Bank has estimated direct physical damage at USD 19.6 billion.

Carolina de Jess, Venezuela project director for the humanitarian organisation Project HOPE, said she has spent nearly every day in the affected region since the quakes. In some neighbourhoods, she said, “The smell of corpses is very strong.” She added that survivors are living through the environmental impact of the disaster in a country where the health system had already been weakened by years of economic crisis. There is “hope, but also enormous pressure over what will happen tomorrow,” de Jess said.

Among those still searching for relatives is 35-year-old Mary Cruz Andueza, whose mother lived in a tower built under a government housing programme launched by late President Hugo Chvez. The building collapsed in the earthquake. “I don't know if she's alive, if she's dead, if she's in a hospital or still beneath the rubble,” Andueza said.

Andueza said she fell ill after spending days near the site. “The dust made me seriously ill,” she said. “We've had coughs, allergies, fever and headaches because we're working so close to the collapsed buildings every day.”

Officials and experts say dealing with an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of debris is a major challenge. The rubble may be contaminated with fuels, motor oil, paints, solvents, plastics and other hazardous materials released when buildings fell. Joaqun Bentez, director of Environmental Sustainability at Andrs Bello Catholic University in Caracas, said authorities are separating contaminated debris from reusable material. Concrete and other recyclable waste will be used in reconstruction, while asbestos, chemicals, fuel residues and other hazardous waste will need to be taken to specialised facilities.

Bentez said he had seen reports that some debris may have been dumped along the coast or into the sea during the early emergency response as blocked roads were cleared, though local journalists said the practice stopped after the first few days. Experts warned that if rubble containing fuels or other hazardous substances reaches coastal waters, it could affect water quality and marine ecosystems. Large amounts of sediment and construction waste could also alter shorelines and damage coastal habitats.

Diego Daz Martn, president of environmental organisation Vitalis, said seasonal rains could trigger landslides on hillsides weakened by the earthquakes. He also warned that damage to sensitive ecosystems may still be going undetected because many affected areas have not yet been assessed. Martn said the recovery effort should also reduce future environmental risks and called on authorities to rebuild outside areas prone to landslides. The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to questions about its handling of the environmental and public health impact of the disaster.

Safe drinking water has become one of the biggest concerns. De Jess said that even when tanker trucks are supplying communities, it does not always mean the water has been properly treated. She said unsafe water and poor sanitation are contributing to diarrhoeal diseases, urinary tract infections, skin infections and conditions that allow mosquito-borne diseases to spread.

“Earthquakes do not cause outbreaks by themselves. The risk comes from the post-disaster conditions,” said Dr Mauricio Cerpa, an epidemiologist with the Pan American Health Organization's Emergency Operations Center. He said overcrowded shelters, broken water and sanitation systems, interrupted healthcare and lower vaccination coverage create conditions in which disease can spread. Cerpa said authorities have identified 18 priority diseases and public health issues that require immediate reporting, including diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, dengue, malaria and measles. Venezuela's vaccination coverage had already fallen below recommended levels before the earthquakes, adding to concerns in crowded shelters.

Health officials said disease surveillance in temporary shelters is now an immediate priority, and PAHO said health teams are supporting vaccination drives and improving water and sanitation conditions. Cerpa also said thousands of people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension could face rising risks if health services remain disrupted. “One of the main challenges is how to recover all the essential care,” he said, adding that hospitals must resume treatment for chronic illnesses while also meeting increasing demand for disease surveillance, mental health services and maternal care.

Thousands of volunteers and humanitarian workers have joined relief efforts, even as there has been criticism of the speed and coordination of the official response. De Jess said some volunteers have developed respiratory illnesses after weeks of breathing in silica and cement dust from cleared buildings, while others have suffered dehydration and diarrhoeal illness after working long hours in the heat.

Alycia Clark, Direct Relief's vice president and chief pharmacy officer, said the earthquakes had added to long-running shortages of medicines, healthcare workers and medical infrastructure, putting many patients at risk of missing routine care. Public health and environmental experts said the next phase of recovery will focus on restoring safe water and sanitation, rebuilding essential health services and managing environmental hazards before they lead to new emergencies. Clark said the initial trauma response would be followed by a much longer public health challenge. “The needs are only going to increase from this point forward,” she said.

More than a month after the earthquakes, Venezuela's recovery is moving from rescue to a wider struggle over public health, water safety and environmental damage, with experts warning that the risks will grow if disrupted services and hazardous debris are not dealt with quickly.

With PTI Inputs

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