Venezuela is facing increasingly severe consequences after two devastating earthquakes struck the country on June 24, as the death toll continues to rise.
Authorities have so far confirmed 1,943 deaths, while the United Nations warns that the country is facing a serious humanitarian crisis and a high risk of epidemic outbreaks.
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Parliament Speaker Jorge Rodriguez said the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors also caused around 10,500 injuries. According to him, at the moment the disaster struck, nearly 30,000 people were in the port area of La Huira, which was the hardest hit.
According to official data, 6,461 people have been pulled out alive so far, while the UN estimates that around 50,000 others are still listed as missing.
Although more than 72 hours have passed since the earthquakes, search and rescue operations are continuing without interruption. A rescue team from Jordan managed to pull a three-year-old boy alive from the rubble in Caracas, restoring hope amid the difficult efforts on the ground.
NASA assessments, based on satellite images, show that around 58,870 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, while vital infrastructure has been severely hit.
The most serious situation has been reported in the northern state of La Huira, where food shortages, disrupted communication links and the collapse of basic services have significantly worsened conditions.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that tensions among residents are rising at a time when humanitarian aid is still not reaching every affected area.
“Sometimes people are killed over a food package. They fight among themselves as if they were at war,” said Daniela Armas, an 18-year-old injured in the earthquake.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has requested $50 million in emergency funding to provide food for around 500,000 people over the next three months.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has raised concerns about the risk of infectious disease outbreaks as a result of damage to the healthcare system, the lack of drinking water and the mass displacement of the population.
According to the WHO, there is a risk of outbreaks of measles, diphtheria and whooping cough, while 38 hospitals have been damaged, with three of them in critical condition.
UNHCR has requested around $15 million to provide temporary shelter for at least 30,000 people over the next six months.
A makeshift morgue has been set up at the port of La Huira to identify the victims, as hospitals continue to cope with a high number of injured people and bodies.
“There were 11 people in our home. Only two of us survived because we were at work,” said Wilker Molaya, who is searching for the bodies of his family members.
International aid for Venezuela has increased. According to the UN, 27 countries have sent more than 40 rescue teams, over 2,000 personnel and more than 160 dogs trained to search for trapped people.
Meanwhile, the United States has announced that it has doubled humanitarian aid for Venezuela, bringing it to $300 million. These funds will be distributed through UN agencies and non-governmental organizations.
