Venezuela Rebuilds Water Systems for 250,000 People After Earthquakes

Emergency interventions supported by UNICEF have already provided safe water to 16,661 people, including 5,079 children, since the disaster.

UNICEF and Venezuela's Ministry of People's Power for Water Services are preparing to restore two major water facilities in La Guaira state, offering hope to families whose daily access to safe water was disrupted by earthquakes in June. Rehabilitation of the Mamo pumping station and the Naiguatá water treatment plant is expected to improve water services for as many as 250,000 people, including around 76,200 children, once work begins in October.

Damaged Facilities Put Children's Health at Risk

The earthquakes damaged water and sanitation systems across several communities, leaving families with unreliable supplies and increasing the risk of illnesses linked to unsafe water and poor hygiene. Children face some of the greatest dangers in these conditions because clean water is essential for drinking, preparing food, maintaining personal hygiene and preventing diseases that can quickly worsen malnutrition or other existing health problems.

Emergency interventions supported by UNICEF have already provided safe water to 16,661 people, including 5,079 children, since the disaster. Many neighbourhoods still depend on water trucks and other temporary arrangements that are becoming harder and more expensive to maintain, particularly as heavy rains complicate transportation and the number of available water providers remains limited.

"After the catastrophic damage the earthquakes created, the priority has been to ensure that children have access to safe and clean water," said UNICEF Representative in Venezuela Manuel Rodríguez Pumarol. He stressed that recovery must also give families dependable water services that can continue meeting their needs in the years ahead.

Repairs Will Increase Water Supply and Reliability

The Mamo pumping station is expected to serve up to 150,000 people, including approximately 45,700 children, following rehabilitation. Planned work at the Naiguatá water treatment plant could improve services for another 100,000 residents, among them nearly 30,500 children, making the two projects a central part of La Guaira's recovery.

Repairs will strengthen pumping capacity and increase the production of safe water flowing through local distribution networks. Filtration and chlorination systems will be restored, while damaged or outdated pumping equipment will be replaced to reduce interruptions and give communities a more consistent supply.

Reliable infrastructure will allow authorities and humanitarian partners to gradually reduce dependence on costly emergency deliveries. It will also help families spend less time searching for water, support safer conditions in homes and schools, and protect children from health threats that often grow when water and sanitation systems fail.

A $40 Million Funding Gap Threatens Wider Recovery

UNICEF has mobilized US$25.7 million of the US$65.7 million required for the overall earthquake response, leaving a funding gap of US$40 million. Water, sanitation and hygiene activities have received only around 24 per cent of the funding needed, raising concern about whether essential services can be maintained while permanent systems are repaired.

National and international partners are being urged to provide timely and flexible financing so temporary water support can continue alongside infrastructure rehabilitation. Delays could place more pressure on communities already coping with unstable services, severe weather and higher operating costs.

"Recovery requires sustaining what works and strengthening the services that families need over the long term," Rodríguez Pumarol said. UNICEF plans to continue supplying technical expertise, equipment and operational assistance, with the wider goal of ensuring that every child affected by the earthquakes can live in a healthy and protective environment.