Venezuela: Water emergency – DREF Operation (MDRVE014)

Country: Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. Description of the Event Date of event 06-03-2026 What happened, where and when? he Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is currently experiencing a major crisis affecting basic services in its eastern regions, particularly in the states of Sucre and Nueva Esparta. This follows the formal declaration of a Critical Water Emergency in the Official Gazette of the State of Sucre No. 3, 247, dated 5 March 2026. This measure responds to a large-scale structural failure in the Turimiquire collection and distribution system — the most important strategic infrastructure in eastern Venezuela — which supplies drinking water to the continental area of Sucre State (covering the municipalities of Sucre, Bolívar and Cruz Salmerón Acosta) and the island area. The system affects 45% of the population of Margarita Island in the state of Nueva Esparta, which depends on its underwater branch via a complex network of underwater pipelines and aqueducts. According to the technical report by the regional hydrological agency (Hidrocaribe), dated 3 March 2026, a rockslide at kilometre 7. 6 of the 12. 5 km transfer tunnel caused an obstruction of 82% of the tunnel’s capacity. This drastically reduced the system’s response capacity from 5, 000 litres per second to 1, 100 litres per second. This explains why there is not enough pressure in the water supply to reach the ‘high areas’ of Sucre and Nueva Esparta. According to the media and local authorities, the collapse has been directly attributed to aftershocks and ground instability caused by an earthquake recorded in the region on 22 February 2022. This earthquake weakened infrastructure that was already compromised by decades of use, according to official spokespeople, including Governor Jhoanna Carrillo. This emergency has had a negative multidimensional impact, affecting the lives of approximately 95, 108 families in one of the three affected municipalities in Sucre state. It has also compromised access to water for 45% of Nueva Esparta state’s population, who depend on the underwater branch of the same system. In health terms, there is an imminent risk of an increase in waterborne and dermatological diseases due to inadequate storage of the resource in open containers and use of untreated alternative sources such as the Manzanares River. The event has led to the suspension of educational, commercial and tourism activities in the city of Cumaná in Sucre State, which are vital to the local economy, while extreme water rationing has undermined general well-being by prohibiting its use for anything other than basic human consumption and hygiene (Sucre State Government, Emergency Decree, 2026). The people most likely to suffer severe impacts from this hazard are those living in the so-called ‘high areas’ of Cumaná and Margarita Island, where low water pressure physically prevents water from reaching homes, even during emergency pumping cycles (Hidrocaribe, Operational Statement, 03/05/2026). The most vulnerable groups within these communities include children and the elderly, who are more susceptible to dehydration and viral infections, as well as people with disabilities, who face physical barriers when collecting water from tanker trucks or community sources. Vulnerability is accentuated in families living in poverty who lack the financial resources to purchase water from private suppliers, whose prices have escalated due to high demand (Public Expenditure Observatory/Local Reports, 2026). The Turimiquire system has historically had chronic weaknesses, with leaks documented over the last 30 years. In July 2023, a critical incident occurred when an eight-metre underground leak caused the collapse of the western branch of the underwater aqueduct, leaving thousands of families in Margarita without access to this basic resource. This demonstrates that the current event is not an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of systematic structural deterioration, requiring major engineering intervention to prevent total collapse of the sanitation system in the eastern region (Historical Archive of Water Infrastructure / El Sol de Margarita, 2023–2026). The Red Cross has mobilized following the declaration of a water emergency, conducting initial needs assessments with local staff and mobilizing national personnel since March 6, 2026, in addition to identifying potential sites for the installation of water treatment plants and coordinating with local authorities who have requested support from the branches to supplement the response plan.

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