Two weeks after the earthquakes that devastated Venezuela, particularly hitting the coastal area of La Guaira north of Caracas, the Venezuelan Association of the Order of Malta (AVOM) has taken over the management of the medical post set up in Caraballeda to tackle the health emergency.
The facility, initially managed by the Italian Civil Protection Department and the Emergency Medical Team of the Tuscany Region, is now operational thanks to an agreement between the Italian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta, the Order’s Venezuelan Association, and the Vive Más Foundation. The medical post, consisting of three containers and a dedicated triage area, is currently able to provide both outpatient and first-aid healthcare, thanks to a team of doctors, nurses, and logistics personnel.
In coordination with the Venezuelan Social Security Institute and relevant humanitarian clusters, AVOM is managing primary healthcare and chronic disease treatment, taking under its care over 250 patients in just four days.
Since the beginning of the crisis, the Order has assisted over 15,000 people through a network of 80 volunteers and a partnership with the Vive Más Foundation, a long-standing local partner with whom AVOM runs the Santisima Trinidad clinic, which was severely damaged by the earthquake. The intervention has delivered around 3,000 medical consultations, over 2,600 essential goods kits, and roughly 3,700 food kits. Furthermore, an online platform used to locate hospitalized individuals has registered over 7,500 people and reunited 65 families.
Additionally, numerous entities of the Order of Malta have mobilized to coordinate an integrated humanitarian response to support the affected communities. The Order’s international relief agency, Malteser International, has allocated 250,000 euros for initial operations and launched an international fundraising campaign to ensure mid-term and long-term assistance.
To cope with the severe overcrowding of local hospitals, Malteser International, working in close logistical coordination with the Venezuelan Association of the Order, has deployed mobile medical units with a team of expert doctors who will provide medical care and psychological support in the hardest-hit communities for three months. Meanwhile, plans are underway to renovate the Santisima Trinidad clinic, a key healthcare facility for the local population.
National Associations and relief corps of the Order of Malta in Italy, Spain, and several Latin American countries have also contributed by raising funds and deploying specialized medical and technical personnel.
During this first response phase, operational planning and the definition of intervention priorities were supported by an integrated hydrometeorological and geophysical risk analysis conducted using AI. Developed through a project by the CIMA Foundation in partnership with CISOM, these tools enabled the identification of the most critical areas.
