Double earthquakes leave 235 dead, millions impacted in Venezuela amid frantic rescue efforts

A pair of devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has killed at least 235 people and trapped many others under collapsed buildings, with international rescue teams racing to find survivors. The quakes have created a humanitarian crisis that officials fear could affect up to 6.8 million people, according to the UN migration agency (IOM), cited by UN News. Rescuers are facing desperate conditions on the ground. UN News reported that in some areas "rescuers are digging with bare hands" to reach those still trapped. The scale of the disaster has prompted a wave of international support: Al Jazeera noted that aid and rescue teams are "pouring in from across the Americas, including Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Cuba, and the United States, as well as the United Nations." The search continues as hospitals fill with the injured. The human toll extends far beyond the confirmed dead. Over 41,000 people have been reported missing through an online portal, according to UN News. And for those who survived, the trauma is far from over: UN News quoted aid agencies saying that "survivors remain terrified to re-enter damaged homes and structures," leaving many in need of shelter, food, and medical care. Rescue operations remain ongoing, Al Jazeera reported, as international teams work alongside local responders. Massive humanitarian needs persist across the country, with UN News emphasizing that the full scale of the crisis is still unfolding as the search for the missing and the dead continues.

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