You might be thinking, 'What just happened in Venezuela?' Well, a massive earthquake hit the country's northern coast, causing widespread destruction and claiming the lives of almost 1,500 people. The first C-17 US military planes have landed at Simon Bolivar International Airport, and a UN aid team is mobilizing rescue efforts.
Delcy Rodriguez, the interim Venezuelan leader backed by the US, has said the country is 'not alone' in this crisis. But locals are furious, pointing fingers at the government for their slow response. In a heartbreaking scene, a mother had to transport her own daughter to a morgue in Caracas after her daughter's 25-year-old husband and their baby did not survive the collapse of their home. The bereaved mother said, 'We were the ones who pulled them out ourselves. No help ever came.'
The search for survivors has seen desperate attempts by local residents to claw away rubble from apartment buildings that collapsed in the double-quakes. Experts say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster are the key time for finding the living. There was a glimmer of hope in the hardest-hit coastal area of La Guaira when locals pulled an infant alive out of the wreckage on Friday, 32 hours after the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors.
The UN's migration agency estimates that up to 6.76 million people could be affected and would require emergency shelter, safe water, sanitation, healthcare, protection, and relief items. The UN aid chief, Tom Fletcher, warned that the death toll could continue to soar, with over 50,000 people unaccounted for.
The crisis has sparked outrage, with Venezuelans furious at the government for their slow response. As Rodriguez visited a destroyed neighborhood on Friday, residents jeered her, saying, 'The government isn’t doing anything for the people.' The government restricted access to La Guaira state on Friday and announced a military deployment to the disaster zone.
La Guaira state is not the only area affected; other states in Venezuela, including Caracas, have also seen significant damage. The earthquake has caused widespread destruction and claimed the lives of almost 1,500 people. Experts say the country's fragile political landscape and economic struggles have left it ill-prepared to respond to the disaster.
The US has sent a disaster response team of over 250 personnel, including three special search-and-rescue units with dogs trained to locate people trapped beneath the rubble. UN aid teams are also on the ground, working to provide medical aid and other essential services. Despite the international aid pouring in, the crisis in Venezuela continues to worsen.
'We were the ones who pulled them out ourselves. No help ever came.'
- Yessica Mendoza, bereaved mother
With over 1,400 people dead and thousands more injured, the full extent of the disaster is only beginning to emerge. The UN estimates that the damage could cost Venezuela around $6.7 billion, equivalent to six percent of the country's GDP. The government has restricted access to La Guaira state and announced a military deployment to the disaster zone, but locals are skeptical about the effectiveness of their response.
In a tragic twist, the couple who lost their lives in the disaster will be cremated without a proper funeral due to the rapidly advancing decomposition of their bodies. The bereaved mother, Yessica Mendoza, said, 'We were the ones who pulled them out ourselves. No help ever came.' The couple's family will have to come to terms with the tragedy without the closure of a proper funeral.
The crisis in Venezuela is not just about the earthquake itself but also about the underlying issues that have left the country so vulnerable. Experts say the country's fragile political landscape and economic struggles have left it ill-prepared to respond to the disaster. The US has sent a disaster response team, and international aid is pouring in, but the crisis continues to worsen.