Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 1,943, Official Says
The death toll from twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela has risen to 1,943, according to lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez, who also reported that the number of injured has nearly doubled to 10,571. Rodríguez serves as the president of the National Assembly.
The government noted a sharp decline in official rescues over the past three days. In the first two days after the quakes, 5,380 people were saved, but only four were found alive on June 29. The prime window for finding survivors is typically 48 to 72 hours, though survival can extend longer depending on factors such as temperature and access to water or food.
On Tuesday afternoon, the sole survivor rescued by authorities was a toddler who had been trapped for six days under a collapsed building, Rodríguez said. These official numbers do not include rescues carried out by volunteer groups across the country. Frustrated with what they perceived as a slow government response, these groups worked to save trapped loved ones days before expert international teams arrived.
Meanwhile, aid groups warned that Venezuela’s fragile healthcare system is being pushed to its limits nearly a week after the earthquakes. Damaged and understaffed hospitals are overwhelmed by the injured, and infectious diseases are flaring in the disaster zone. Among the living, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. United Nations agencies expressed concern about the health effects on thousands of displaced people sleeping in the open or in crowded, unsanitary shelters.
World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said at a media briefing that the healthcare system, strained by decades of underinvestment and years of economic crisis, is under extreme pressure, with facilities operating beyond capacity due to the surge of trauma cases.
Venezuelan officials report that more than 15,800 people have been affected by the earthquakes, a figure that includes the officially displaced, according to U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Carlotta Wolf. Many of the displaced in the hardest-hit state of La Guaira, near the capital Caracas, are suffering from widespread food shortages. Without access to toilets, showers, or soap, they are increasingly vulnerable to preventable diseases such as measles, given low vaccination rates. Lindmeier added that conditions are ripe for waterborne infections like dengue, yellow fever, and malaria.
The government stated that the earthquakes damaged or compromised 38 hospitals nationwide. The WHO has evaluated 21 of those facilities; three are no longer operating, six have sustained damage, and the rest are struggling under the influx of injuries. Many specialist doctors are missing in the ruins, including officials in charge of maternity care in La Guaira, compounding challenges in a country that 8 million people, including many doctors and nurses, have fled in recent years.
An increased presence of nongovernmental organizations was noticeable in La Guaira and adjacent communities, with tents from the Red Cross, the World Food Program, and other groups set up on sidewalks, waterfront esplanades, and athletic facilities. People lined up throughout the day under the sun to receive free toiletries, food, medications, and face masks.
