ShelterBox Assesses Urgent Shelter Needs One Month After Venezuela Earthquake

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - One month after a powerful earthquake struck Venezuela, ShelterBox response teams are continuing to reach some of the hardest-hit communities, where many families remain without safe shelter.

Senior Response Manager Brian Glenn is on the ground assessing damage and helping coordinate emergency relief. Families are living in damaged homes, tents and makeshift shelters as aftershocks continue.

“The biggest problem families face isn’t only inadequate shelter, it’s the uncertainty of how long they’ll be allowed to stay together,” Glenn said.

ShelterBox and local Rotary clubs are preparing to build 1,000 temporary shelters while distributing emergency supplies, including durable tents, shelter kits, blankets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, solar lights and kitchen sets.

Relief efforts have also been challenged by the high cost of construction tools. Glenn described paying nearly $500 for a cordless drill that would typically cost about $100 in the United States.

During damage assessments, Glenn visited a baseball field that has become home to about 100 displaced families. Children who once played there now live in tents alongside their parents, sharing limited restroom facilities and communal cooking areas while waiting for more permanent shelter.

Rotary clubs across Venezuela have played a key role in the response by helping coordinate transportation, warehouse support, humanitarian aid and damage assessments.

A former Texas fire battalion chief, Glenn has responded to disasters around the world and is now helping lead ShelterBox’s effort to provide emergency shelter and support for families recovering from the earthquake.

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