Attachments
Date of event
31-10-2023
What happened, where and when?
On 10 July in response to alerts from INAMEH and the activation of a task force by national authorities to address the impact of heavy rainfall in the country, the Venezuelan Red Cross (VRC) launched the present operation. The objective was to implement anticipatory actions, including preparedness, pre-positioning, and early action activities, in the states of Apure, Aragua, La Guaira, Portuguesa, and Sucre. The National Society implemented anticipatory actions at both the institutional and community levels to mitigate the potential impacts of an emergency, based on lessons learned from previous operations. Planning this operation was significantly challenging due to limited official data. The selection of states was based on previous registered emergencies and the likelihood of impact based on available forecasts and the task force established by the national authorities.
On 19 August, Tropical Storm Franklin, previously known as tropical wave 31, caused damage in 20 sectors of Santa Elena de Uairén, Bolívar state. The Uairén River over owed, triggering the activation of preparedness mechanisms. According to Civil Protection (CP) reports, 1,884 families were affected across various sectors. The municipal authorities, Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB, by its initials in Spanish), CP, and humanitarian agencies working in the area initiated the first response efforts. Santa Elena de Uairén is located two days' travel from the capital district and one day's travel from the nearest VRC response region (El Tigre), which presents challenges for response actions.
Despite this, the VRC deployed a field team to evaluate the context within the first days after the event, with the aim of assessing needs and evaluating the context. This assessment confirmed that 1,884 families were affected, of which 524 were at the greatest risk. The VRC provided aid to 200 families in the most affected areas, such as Francisco de Miranda, Los Pinos, Constituyente, Negro Primero, and El Merey.
Furthermore, on 31 October, heavy rains from tropical wave 49 affected the states of Sucre and Aragua, activating trigger 2 of the current IFRC-DREF operation. On 2 November, the VRC sent technical teams to assess the effects of the situation. The teams identified 273 families in need of immediate assistance, with 225 in Sucre and 48 in Aragua. Consequently, the VRC proceeded to the response phase in these states.