Hope fades, hunger grows a week after Venezuela quakes

A week after twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela, hope of finding more survivors has dwindled, while many who escaped the disaster face desperate shortages of food and water. The death toll has climbed to nearly 2,300, with tens of thousands still missing.

“

the country's "soul is torn apart by the human losses."

In La Guaira, the city hardest hit by the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes, many collapsed buildings have been marked with a 'D' for deceased, indicating that searches have yielded no signs of life. Spanish rescue coordinator Javier Rodes noted that "time isn't wasted in a place where there is no expectation of recovering people alive." While a three-year-old boy was miraculously found alive six days after the initial quake, experts state that trapped victims are unlikely to survive beyond 72 hours.

“

Time isn't wasted in a place where there is no expectation of recovering people alive.

Jose Rafael, standing among the ruins where his son is missing in Caraballeda, expressed the grim reality: "No one is coming out of here, alive or dead." Residents have also voiced frustration, with one American rescuer informing a group that there were "no signs of life" from a pile of rubble where they had hoped to find relatives.

“

No one is coming out of here, alive or dead.

The earthquakes struck Venezuela during a fragile economic and political transition, with decades of economic crisis having already devastated infrastructure and health services. The United Nations estimates 50,000 people are missing. While international rescue teams have arrived, locals are reportedly furious at the state's delayed response. With daily life in ruins, the focus has shifted to survival, as food and water become scarce, leading to near-fights for supplies at emergency shelters.

“

They give out supplies here, but sometimes people nearly kill each other for food... It's like a cockfight.