Sunday, June 28, 2026 -The death toll in Venezuela’s twin earthquake disaster reached 1,430 Saturday as rescue teams raced against time to find survivors and millions of people faced shortages of essential services, including clean water, sanitation and shelter.
The first US relief flights arrived in Caracas as the
Venezuelan authorities faced growing criticism over the pace of the emergency
response. Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez sought to reassure the public, saying
the country was receiving support and “not alone” during the crisis.
The United States said a runway at Simón Bolívar
International Airport had resumed operations, allowing C-17 military aircraft
to land, while a naval vessel reached waters off Venezuela’s coast to assist
relief efforts.
The UN humanitarian office OCHA said rescue and recovery
teams from at least 17 countries were being prepared to support search
operations and help locate survivors. However, in badly affected areas,
residents continued digging through collapsed buildings themselves in desperate
attempts to save those trapped beneath the debris.
Experts say the first 72 hours after a major disaster are the
most critical period for finding survivors. A rare moment of hope emerged in
the coastal region of La Guaira, north of Caracas, when residents rescued an
infant alive from the ruins of a collapsed apartment building more than 32
hours after the earthquakes struck.
A video shared online showed a man overcome with emotion as
he carried the rescued baby in his arms.The two powerful earthquakes, which
struck within a minute of each other, left at least 920 people dead, according
to initial figures.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher warned that the number could rise
significantly as rescue operations continue. The UN migration agency said
assessments of population data and damage reports indicated that as many as
6.76 million people could be affected, requiring emergency accommodation, safe
drinking water, sanitation facilities, healthcare, protection services and
essential supplies.
The disaster has triggered anger among Venezuelans already
struggling with years of economic hardship and political instability following
the US-backed effort to remove former leader Nicolás Maduro.
Yessica Mendoza said she had to take her daughter’s body to a
Caracas morgue herself after her 25-year-old daughter Yesimar Rodriguez and
son-in-law Jhomel Anaya, 26, were killed when their home collapsed in La
Guaira.
“We were the ones who pulled them out ourselves. No help ever
came,” Mendoza told AFP. She said the couple would be cremated without a
traditional funeral because their bodies had deteriorated rapidly.
During a visit to a damaged neighbourhood on Friday,
Rodríguez faced angry reactions from residents who accused the government of
failing to provide adequate assistance.
“The government isn’t doing anything for the people,” some
residents shouted from behind security barriers near a destroyed
building.Authorities later restricted access to La Guaira state as rescue
operations continued. Fletcher said more than 50,000 people were believed to be
missing. “It’s a very, very complex emergency response,” he said.
Rodríguez said she had spoken with US President Donald Trump
and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who she said pledged continued support for
relief operations.
Washington said it was deploying more than 250 disaster
response personnel, including three specialised search-and-rescue teams with
trained dogs to locate people trapped beneath collapsed structures.
The earthquake is the strongest Venezuela has experienced in
more than a century, striking a country already weakened by years of economic
decline.
The collapse of public services, including healthcare
infrastructure, has left millions vulnerable, while millions more Venezuelans
have left the country in search of better conditions. The disaster also comes
during a politically fragile period, with Venezuela still navigating a
transition months after Maduro was removed from power.
“Even before the earthquakes, millions of people across
Venezuela were facing food insecurity, collapsing health services, protection
risks, and limited access to basic services,” the UN and other aid
organizations said in a joint statement.
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