Three-year-old boy rescued alive six days after earthquakes in Venezuela
A three-year-old has been rescued after surviving six days trapped beneath the rubble of an earthquake, as the death toll in Venezuela continues to rise and aid agencies issue warnings about an impending crisis.
A three-year-old boy has been rescued alive from the rubble six days after the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela, providing a rare moment of hope as the death toll continues to rise and the United Nations warns of deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
The child, known as Klieber Morán, was rescued from the rubble in La Guaira state by a Jordanian team, as reported by Venezuelan officials.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez praised the remarkable rescue, calling it a beacon of hope for the nation.
“A beacon of hope for our community.”
Jordanian civil defense officials reported that Klieber was given first aid at the scene before being taken to the hospital, noting that his vital signs were stable.
Venezuelan Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez later confirmed that the boy was receiving treatment in the capital, Caracas. He stated that the rescue highlighted the ongoing hope of finding more survivors, even after nearly a week had passed since the disaster.
“Klieber’s rescue demonstrates that there remains hope for finding more individuals alive,” Rodríguez stated, noting that both domestic and international rescue teams are persistently searching through the rubble of collapsed buildings. He also mentioned that shelters had already been established in La Guaira and other impacted states.
The rescue occurred significantly after the crucial 72-hour window following an earthquake, a timeframe during which specialists indicate that individuals trapped under fallen debris have the highest likelihood of survival.
The twin earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, have resulted in at least 1,943 fatalities, over 10,000 injuries, and left tens of thousands of individuals unaccounted for.
Preliminary satellite analysis conducted by NASA reveals that approximately 58,870 buildings sustained damage or were destroyed due to the intense tremors.
As rescue operations progress, the United Nations has issued a warning that the humanitarian situation is worsening swiftly, with tens of thousands of survivors in urgent need of food, shelter, and other essential supplies.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that food shortages have become prevalent in the most severely affected regions, while essential services and communications have largely deteriorated in La Guaira.
“Community tensions are escalating as access to assistance continues to be limited,” the UNHCR stated.
The agency requested an initial $15 million to enhance emergency assistance.The agency stated that funding is required to enhance protection, provide essential relief items, and offer temporary shelter support for 30,000 individuals affected by the earthquake over a period of six months.
Residents expressed an increasing sense of desperation as assistance faced challenges in reaching those impacted.
Daniela Armas, an 18-year-old street vendor who was injured after falling from a motorbike during the earthquakes, expressed that the competition for limited supplies was becoming more perilous.
“Some supplies are being distributed, but at times, people come dangerously close to harming one another over food… it resembles a cockfight,” she told AFP.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding the significant strain on the country’s healthcare system.
“There’s a heightened risk now of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases” such as measles and diphtheria due to low vaccination coverage, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier stated.
International rescue teams from the United States, Mexico, and numerous other countries continue their efforts on the ground, employing trained search dogs and heavy machinery to find survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.
Humanitarian assistance has started to arrive in Venezuela. A spokesperson for the United Nations announced that a shipment weighing 47 tonnes of emergency supplies arrived in the country on Tuesday. This shipment includes medical kits designed for urgent healthcare, safe childbirth, newborn care, and disease prevention.
Meanwhile, families have begun the process of burying their loved ones whose bodies have been recovered, while thousands more are still anxiously awaiting news of their missing relatives.
At a makeshift morgue at La Guaira’s port, Wilker Molalla expressed his anguish as he awaited the identification of several family members, including his sister, her children, and his brother’s children, highlighting the profound human tragedy that has emerged in the aftermath of the disaster.
