WHO sounds alarm on disease outbreaks in quake-hit Venezuela

Summary

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - June 30, 2026 10:10 pm IST - Geneva Aerial view of collapsed buildings in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on June 30, 2026, following earthquakes. | Photo Credit: Reuters The World Health Organization voiced concerns Tuesday (June 30, 2026) about potential disease outbreaks in Venezuela with local health services overwhelmed following deadly earthquakes. "The health services are under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond the capacity," spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a press conference in Geneva, noting the surge in trauma cases. By the latest official count, some 1,700 are dead and 5,000 are injured, with no governmental word on the number of missing. Other estimates place these in the tens of thousands. The WHO also said there were problems with adequately registering casualties and tracking missing persons following the 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes. "There's an increased risk now of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases" such as measles and diphtheria, said Lindmeier, due to low pre-earthquake vaccination coverage, as well as yellow fever, and other vector- and water-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya and Zika. "Critical gaps include the collapse of forensic and morgue services, and inadequate casualty registration and tracking of missing persons." UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, warned that community tensions were rising in quake-hit areas due to constrained aid access.