Rescue teams in Venezuela have pulled a three-year-old child alive from beneath the rubble in La Guaira, six days after devastating twin earthquakes struck the country, offering a rare moment of hope amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
The dramatic rescue took place in the hardest-hit northern state after the powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck less than a minute apart on June 24, leaving widespread destruction and thousands displaced.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said humanitarian needs continue to rise as the death toll climbs. Venezuelan authorities have confirmed nearly 2,000 deaths, while more than 6,400 people have been rescued.
UN agencies and humanitarian partners remain on the ground across the worst-affected communities, working with local authorities to provide emergency shelter, healthcare, protection and other essential services.
“Every life matters,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday, as national and international search-and-rescue teams continued operations in La Guaira.
The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams are also assessing the scale of the devastation to determine where humanitarian assistance is most urgently needed.
According to the UN, about 1,000 buildings, including hospitals, have been damaged or destroyed, while more than 400 schools and water systems have been affected.
To support the emergency response, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered an initial 47-tonne shipment of humanitarian supplies to Venezuela on Tuesday, complementing an earlier regional shipment from Panama that arrived on June 28.
The combined supplies are expected to support more than 100,000 children and their families over the next three months.
“UNICEF is on the ground and working around the clock to reach as many children and families as possible,” UNICEF representative Gabriel Vockel said in La Guaira.
“The first flights carrying water, medicines and other life-saving supplies have reached the country, and we are grateful for the solidarity shown. We appeal for more donations because additional funding will enable us to save more lives and reach more children and families.”
The shipment, facilitated by the European Union through UNICEF’s logistics hub in Copenhagen, includes emergency health kits, safe childbirth supplies, newborn care materials, medicines for disease prevention and treatment, water purification equipment, storage containers, tents for child-friendly spaces and wheelchairs.
Recreational and early childhood development materials have also been delivered to help children recover emotionally and resume learning.
UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Roberto Benes, said affected families urgently need safe drinking water and access to healthcare.
“Many are sleeping outdoors because they fear more aftershocks. These supplies will help us reach children and families with critical assistance, but the needs remain far greater than the aid delivered so far,” he said.
UNICEF estimates that about 680,000 children across the six earthquake-affected states require humanitarian assistance following what is believed to be Venezuela’s most significant seismic disaster in more than a century.
The agency also warned that communities remain vulnerable as more than 600 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquakes.
UNICEF is seeking 52 million dollars to support its earthquake response as part of its broader 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Venezuela, valued at 137.6 million dollars. Before the disaster, the appeal had received only 35 per cent of the required funding.
Source: (NAN)
