Rescue teams are battling against time in Venezuela after a series of powerful earthquakes left nearly 1,500 people dead, injured thousands and displaced millions, triggering one of the country’s worst humanitarian disasters in recent years.
Emergency workers, supported by the military and humanitarian organizations, continued search-and-rescue operations on Sunday, combing through collapsed buildings in the hope of finding survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Authorities said the powerful tremors caused widespread destruction, flattening homes, damaging hospitals, schools and critical infrastructure across several affected regions, while communication and electricity services were disrupted in many communities.
As the death toll continued to climb, millions of residents were reported to be in urgent need of food, clean water, medical supplies and temporary shelter.
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Relief agencies warned that the humanitarian situation could worsen in the coming days as thousands of families remain homeless and emergency services struggle to reach remote communities cut off by damaged roads and infrastructure.
Government officials have pledged to mobilise all available resources to support rescue and relief efforts, while international organizations and foreign governments have begun offering humanitarian assistance to the South American nation.
Medical teams have been deployed to treat the injured, with emergency shelters established to accommodate displaced residents as aftershocks continue to raise fears of further destruction.
Humanitarian agencies have appealed for increased international support, warning that immediate assistance will be critical to saving lives and helping affected communities recover from the disaster.
The earthquakes have added to Venezuela’s existing economic and humanitarian challenges, leaving millions of people in desperate need of aid as rescue operations continue across the devastated areas.