Playa Grande (Venezuela) .- The UN humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, told EFE that sanctions on Venezuela must be eased so they do not affect the arrival of aid and recovery plans following the double earthquake.
“For us, it is always important that we have humanitarian exceptions, that nothing we need for humanitarian support is subject to sanctions,” said the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs in an interview from Playa Grande, one of the areas most affected by the devastating earthquakes.
Fletcher considered that the earthquakes will cause a “very difficult economic situation,” which will subtract “several points from the GDP,” and they want to work with financial organizations such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) so that they commit “to moving beyond this phase of the humanitarian crisis and toward that longer-term recovery.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) considers that 300 million dollars more are needed -a similar amount has already been raised- to reach 1.3 million people who have been affected in some way by the earthquake, according to an assessment of needs conducted by the UN and NGOs.
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“There is that long-term need to help the Venezuelan people at this moment, and not just to deal with the humanitarian situation, but also to deal with long-term reconstruction, the reconstruction of the country. Ultimately, not just rebuilding neighborhoods, but rebuilding hope,” Fletcher noted.
The UN seeks to ensure aid to Venezuela
The humanitarian coordinator acknowledged that the efficiency of aid distribution “will never be perfect,” but called for greater coordination: “in a crisis zone like this, when dealing with such a complex operation, it cannot be perfect. What we have to do is coordinate as effectively as possible among all these different partners, including, of course, NGOs and the private sector.”
“We have robust mechanisms in place to ensure that aid reaches where it is needed. And we do not want to see a single dollar going anywhere other than saving lives,” the British diplomat reaffirmed.
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The devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude double earthquake on June 24 has caused, according to the latest official toll, 3,685 deaths and 16,740 injuries.
