VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES: Pregnant Women and New Mothers Face Growing Health Risks

CARACAS (July 23, 2026) – Thousands of pregnant women and new mothers have been affected by earthquakes in Venezuela,^[1] where dozens of health facilities remain damaged and over 20,000 people are living in temporary shelter.  

The twin earthquakes, of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24, destroying and damaging dozens of health facilities, disrupting essential maternal and child healthcare services, and leaving families uncertain where to seek care for themselves and their children.

Many pregnant women, caregivers, and their children who lost their homes are now living in temporary shelters where access to antenatal care, nutritious food, and clean water and sanitation is limited.  

The UN estimates there are 36,700 pregnant women who have been affected by the earthquakes, 4,000 of whom are expected to give birth in the next month.^[2]

Yohana,* 23, who is pregnant with her first child and relies on glasses to see, was alone at home in one of the hardest-hit parts of La Guaira when the earthquake hit, causing her building to collapse. She managed to escape by breaking a window.  

“I went out barefoot, just wearing my house clothes,” said Yohana*. “I lost my glasses...I couldn't see, or at least I could see less.”

“When the whole house collapsed, I was scared. At that moment, I didn’t feel that I had hurt [my stomach], but with all the chaos, I wasn’t sure if I’d gotten hurt or not. But honestly, all I was thinking about was getting out alive.”

Yohana* received a healthcare checkup at a mobile clinic run by a Save the Children partner, PALUZ, in La Guaira, where the main maternity hospital remains closed.

Meanwhile, newborn babies and infants living in sodden tents are falling sick from damp conditions or are at risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue during the country’s rainy season. Some mothers living in temporary shelters say that along with feeling stressed and anxious, being able to buy nappies and other essential supplies for their babies is challenging.  

Yennifer,* 23, who is breastfeeding her four-month-old baby, Carmen,* struggled to take care of her own health after the earthquake. Carmen’s* pediatrician was also killed in the earthquake.

“I couldn’t eat and I had a lot of headaches. I couldn't sleep because it felt like I was shaking. It was difficult for me, and any movement put me on alert and I felt very uneasy.”

“Since [Carmen’s*] pediatrician passed away, that's a big worry, because now how am I going to find someone to treat her because there's no money either,” Yennifer* said.  

“Everything feels overwhelming and I can’t rest”.

Research shows that high levels of stress and anxiety during pregnancy may affect a baby's brain development and immune system, increasing the risk of preterm birth or even miscarriage. Babies exposed to elevated maternal stress during pregnancy may also show more fear, sadness and distress at three months of age than those born to mothers who experienced less stress.  

Limited access to nutritious food, uncontrolled infant formula donations, and reduced antenatal care during pregnancy also heighten the risk of malnutrition in infants and increases the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.

Fatima Andraca, Save the Children’s Country Director in Venezuela, said:  

“Every day, hundreds of babies are born to mothers in Venezuela whose lives have been turned upside down by the earthquake and who are dealing with huge amounts of stress. Many are bringing their newborns into a world of uncertainty, displacement and disrupted healthcare services.

“We’re hearing worrying reports of young babies becoming sick in camps where families are sleeping on damp mattresses exposed to rain and poor sanitation. At the same time, women are grieving loved ones, coping with trauma and worrying about where they can access healthcare after losing trusted obstetricians and pediatricians.

"Pregnancy and caring for a newborn can be challenging under any circumstances. No mother should have to navigate those challenges while living in a tent, mourning losses and worrying about whether her child can access the healthcare they need.”

Save the Children said it is imperative that pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and their children, are prioritized in the humanitarian response and recovery in Venezuela through urgent coordination, adequate funding, and targeted actions.  

Save the Children is calling on international governments, donors and humanitarian partners to ensure that pregnant and breastfeeding women affected by the earthquake have continuous access to quality antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, skilled infant and young child feeding support, nutritious food, safe shelter, clean water and sanitation, and essential newborn supplies, both now and in the months ahead.  

Save the Children is working with authorities and local partners in Venezuela, providing primary healthcare through mobile clinics, distributing hygiene kits, clean water and essential supplies. Save the Children is also supporting parents and caregivers to access services for small and nutritionally at-risk babies under six months to help them survive and thrive, including nutrition assessments for babies, and breastfeeding counselling and mental health support for caregivers. The organization is also exploring potential support to maternal and pediatric services in coordination with national health authorities.  

Save the Children has been working in Venezuela since 2019. Since the humanitarian crisis started to rapidly deteriorate a few years ago, Save the Children has been scaling its response through local partners to support the increasing number of children in need. Save the Children delivers health, nutrition, education, child protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods support.  

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*Names changed for anonymity  

Notes:

[1] https://www.unfpa.org/resources/flash-update-earthquakes-venezuela-24-26-june-2026

[2] https://www.unfpa.org/resources/flash-update-earthquakes-venezuela-24-26-june-2026