More Argentine doctors and rescuers travel to Venezuela to aid earthquake victims

A new contingent of 23 rescuers and four medical professionals departed Argentina for Venezuela on Sunday, joining humanitarian efforts in areas devastated by earthquakes on June 24. The group includes specialists from the Argentine Body of Evacuation and First Aid (CEPA) and Fénix Unit Rescue, along with doctors from the Association of Venezuelan Doctors in Argentina (Asomevenar).

Their primary objective is to intensify the search for victims buried in rubble, responding to pleas from families seeking to recover the bodies of missing loved ones for burial. Civil society organizations report that unofficial figures indicate more missing persons than authorities have officially acknowledged.

The mission will also provide primary medical attention in temporary camps for families displaced from their homes. This care will focus on patients with chronic illnesses and on preventing infections due to post-disaster sanitary conditions. Since the earthquakes, nearly 300 people have traveled from Argentina to Venezuela, including brigadistas, medical personnel, canine units, and volunteers, supported by the Argentine government.

Official Venezuelan reports state the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes resulted in 5,208 deaths, 16,740 injuries, and left 17,907 people homeless. Over 23,800 individuals are housed in 107 temporary camps, and 128,324 families have received state assistance. The earthquakes affected 856 buildings, with 190 collapsing, and have been followed by 1,388 aftershocks. The Argentine government has deployed a consular mission to assist its citizens affected by the emergency.