▲ Earthquake in Venezuela
As of yesterday (July 1), one week has passed since a series of powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. Emergency rescue teams continue search and rescue operations, striving to save any remaining survivors.
Aid organizations report that humanitarian efforts are falling short of the required level, as water and power supplies remain cut off in affected areas and healthcare facilities are overwhelmed.
In a statement released on June 30, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) noted that while the 72-hour golden time—considered the critical window for saving lives—has long passed and the chances of finding survivors are rapidly diminishing, search and rescue operations at the disaster sites have not been abandoned.
In La Guaira, the state most heavily impacted by the earthquake, news of a 3-year-old child being dramatically rescued from the rubble yesterday provided a glimmer of hope to both rescue workers and the Venezuelan people.
Reuters reported that the child was the only survivor rescued yesterday.
According to official figures from the Venezuelan government, the death toll reached 1,943 as of yesterday, with 10,571 people injured.
The official death toll released by the government is based on recovered bodies, and the number of victims is expected to continue rising as time passes.
A private Venezuelan website tracking missing persons from the earthquake has unofficially estimated the number of people who remain unreachable at approximately 40,000 as of today.
NASA, citing an analysis by researchers at Oregon State University using high-resolution radar imagery from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-1 satellite, estimated that approximately 58,870 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed.
International organizations and aid groups have emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
The IRC stated, "The scale of the response is not meeting the scale of the humanitarian needs," adding that "medical services, health facilities, and temporary medical centers are overwhelmed, and shelters have reached their capacity."
The organization specifically reported that the disruption of water and electricity supplies in the affected areas is making it difficult to secure clean drinking water and maintain sanitation.
Due to a lack of coordination in the delivery of relief food, it is reported that a significant portion of the supplies is spoiling in the high temperatures before it can even be distributed.
Aid groups are expressing concerns that food shortages will become an even greater issue once rescue teams begin to withdraw.
Reuters reported that United Nations agencies have warned that survivors in the earthquake-affected regions could face hunger and disease.
According to the report, the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for 50 million dollars in emergency funding to provide food assistance to up to 500,000 people in the earthquake-hit areas of Venezuela over the next three months.
The WFP stated that it has currently delivered one month's worth of food to the La Guaira region and is operating temporary feeding centers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a strong warning yesterday that Venezuela's healthcare facilities are already beyond capacity, raising the risk of a large-scale outbreak of infectious diseases.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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