UNICEF, Venezuela to Begin Rehabilitation of Key Water Systems in La Guaira as Earthquake Recovery Enters New Phase.
CARACAS/PANAMA CITY:
UNICEF and Venezuela’s Ministry of People’s Power for Water Services are preparing to begin rehabilitation work on critical water infrastructure in La Guaira state, marking a new phase in recovery efforts following the earthquakes that struck the region in June.
The planned rehabilitation of the Mamo pumping station and the Naiguatá water treatment plant is expected to improve access to safer and more reliable water services for as many as 250,000 people, including approximately 76,200 children.
The works are scheduled to begin in October and are aimed at moving communities away from temporary emergency measures toward more sustainable water and sanitation services.
Major rehabilitation works planned
At the Mamo pumping station, rehabilitation is expected to benefit up to 150,000 people, including around 45,700 children. Work at the Naiguatá water treatment plant is expected to reach an additional 100,000 people, including approximately 30,500 children.
The rehabilitation will focus on restoring and strengthening essential infrastructure needed to increase the amount of water entering the distribution network and improve the continuity of services.
Planned interventions include the rehabilitation of filtration and chlorination systems and the replacement of pumping equipment. These improvements are expected to strengthen pumping capacity, increase safe water production and make water services more dependable for affected communities.
Emergency response provided safe water to thousands
The June earthquakes damaged water and sanitation infrastructure in several communities across the affected areas, disrupting essential services and increasing risks to children’s health, nutrition and protection.
Since the disaster, UNICEF-supported emergency interventions have enabled 16,661 people, including 5,079 children, to access safe water.
However, emergency arrangements are facing growing pressure. Some communities still depend on water trucking and other temporary solutions, while heavy rains, limited availability of water trucking providers and rising operational costs are making it increasingly difficult to maintain these measures.
UNICEF said these challenges underscore the need to accelerate the transition from emergency assistance to the restoration of sustainable water systems.
UNICEF stresses long-term recovery
UNICEF Representative in Venezuela Manuel Rodríguez Pumarol said the immediate priority after the earthquakes was to ensure that children and families had access to safe and clean water, but stressed that recovery must also focus on long-term reliability.
“After the catastrophic damage the earthquakes created, the priority has been to ensure that children have access to safe and clean water. But recovery also means ensuring that families can rely on safe water both now and in the future,” Rodríguez Pumarol said.
He added that continued support for water and sanitation services, alongside efforts to restore safer and more sustainable systems, represents a critical next step in the earthquake response.
Funding gap threatens recovery efforts
Despite progress, UNICEF warned that significant funding gaps remain.
For the overall earthquake response, UNICEF has so far mobilized US$25.7 million out of the US$65.7 million required, leaving a funding shortfall of approximately US$40 million.
Water, sanitation and hygiene interventions are currently only around 24 per cent funded, according to UNICEF.
The agency is calling on national and international partners to maintain and increase their support to consolidate emergency gains and speed up the recovery of water, sanitation and hygiene services in communities affected by the earthquakes.
“Recovery requires sustaining what works and strengthening the services that families need over the long term,” Rodríguez Pumarol said. “UNICEF will continue providing technical assistance, supplies and operational support so that every child can grow up in a healthy and protective environment.”
The planned rehabilitation of the Mamo and Naiguatá facilities is therefore expected to serve as a key step in the broader recovery process, helping communities in La Guaira move from emergency water provision toward stronger, safer and more sustainable services.
