More than 5,000 dead after double earthquake in Venezuela

Parliamentary president Jorge Rodríguez, brother of acting president Delcy Rodríguez, published the current casualty figures on the platform X. He described the scale of the destruction as devastating. In the days after the quake, the government had already declared a state of emergency and requested international assistance.

Domestic and international aid

Tens of thousands of emergency workers from within the country as well as thousands of foreign helpers are deployed on the ground. According to the government, 80 tons of relief supplies have so far been transported to the disaster area via an air bridge. According to aid organizations, supplying survivors with food, drinking water, and medical assistance remains one of the greatest challenges.

The European Union had already made 52 million euros in humanitarian aid available to Venezuela before the earthquake, in order to respond to the country's economic crisis. Following the tremors, the EU topped up these funds by an additional 20 million euros. This brings the total flowing from Brussels to the emergency relief effort to 72 million euros.

Challenges in reconstruction

The international community faces the task of coordinating reconstruction in the destroyed regions. Infrastructure, residential buildings, and public facilities are particularly affected. The government announced that it would push ahead with the clearing operations and reconstruction at full speed, but at the same time pointed to the country's limited own resources.

The situation of the survivors remains tense. Many families have lost relatives, their homes, or all of their possessions. In addition to acute emergency aid, those affected need psychological support and long-term assistance in rebuilding their livelihoods. Aid organizations are calling for donations.

The authorities stress that the search for missing persons in the rubble is continuing and that the casualty figures could rise further. The final toll of the disaster will only be determined once the recovery operations have been completed.