Rescuers have pulled a three-year-old child alive from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, six days after two powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the country, killing nearly 2,000 people.
The dramatic rescue took place in La Guaira, one of the areas worst affected by the twin earthquakes, offering a rare moment of hope as emergency teams continue searching for survivors.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck less than a minute apart on June 24, leaving widespread destruction across northern Venezuela and displacing tens of thousands of residents.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that humanitarian needs continue to rise as many families remain without adequate shelter.
Authorities say nearly 2,000 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 6,400 survivors have been rescued since the disaster.
Search-and-rescue operations remain underway in the hardest-hit communities, with national emergency responders working alongside international teams to locate anyone still trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said every effort was being made to save lives as rescue operations continued.
UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams are also assessing damage to determine where humanitarian assistance is most urgently required.
According to the United Nations, about 1,000 buildings, including hospitals, have been damaged or destroyed, while more than 400 schools and critical water infrastructure have also been affected.
To support the emergency response, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered an initial 47-tonne shipment of humanitarian supplies, following an earlier relief consignment flown in from Panama.
The aid is expected to support more than 100,000 children and their families over the next three months.
UNICEF said the emergency supplies include medical kits, equipment for safe childbirth and newborn care, medicines, water purification materials, storage containers, child-friendly tents, wheelchairs and educational materials designed to help children return to learning and regain a sense of normalcy.
“Families across the affected states urgently need safe drinking water and access to healthcare,” UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Roberto Benes said.
He noted that many displaced families are sleeping outdoors because of continued aftershocks and fears of additional building collapses.
The agency estimates that about 680,000 children require humanitarian assistance across the six states affected by the earthquakes, the strongest seismic disaster to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
UNICEF added that more than 600 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquakes, increasing risks for survivors and rescue workers alike.
The agency is seeking $52 million to fund its emergency earthquake response as part of its broader 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Venezuela, which remains only 35 per cent funded.
