Venezuela Earthquake: Three-Year-Old Rescued Alive After Six Days

Rescue workers in Venezuela have pulled a three-year-old child alive from the rubble six days after two powerful earthquakes devastated parts of the country, offering a rare moment of hope amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.

The toddler was rescued in La Guaira, one of the worst-hit northern regions affected by the twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, which struck less than a minute apart on June 24.

The remarkable rescue came as tens of thousands of survivors continued to endure difficult conditions without adequate shelter following the disaster.

According to Venezuelan authorities, nearly 2,000 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 6,400 individuals have been rescued since the earthquakes struck.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees described the humanitarian situation as increasingly severe, warning that urgent needs continue to rise as more families are displaced.

“As the death toll rises, needs are skyrocketing,” the agency said in an online update.

Search and rescue operations remain ongoing in La Guaira, with national and international emergency teams continuing efforts to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stressed that “every life matters” as rescue missions continue despite the passage of nearly a week since the disaster.

UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams are also working with local authorities to identify communities requiring urgent humanitarian assistance and determine priority needs.

Officials said approximately 1,000 buildings, including hospitals, sustained severe damage or were completely destroyed. More than 400 schools and several water supply systems were also affected.

In response, the United Nations Children’s Fund delivered an initial 47-tonne shipment of emergency supplies to Venezuela, complementing humanitarian cargo that arrived from Panama on June 28.

The supplies include emergency medical kits, safe childbirth equipment, newborn care materials, water purification systems, child-friendly tents, wheelchairs and educational resources designed to support children affected by the disaster.

UNICEF said the combined shipments would assist more than 100,000 children and families over the next three months.

The agency estimates that about 680,000 children across six affected states require humanitarian assistance following what has been described as Venezuela’s most destructive seismic event in more than a century.

UNICEF is seeking 52 million dollars to support its earthquake response as aftershocks, now exceeding 600, continue to threaten already devastated communities.