Young volunteers run Venezuela earthquake shelter: 'We go down with the ship'

In La Guaira, Venezuela's state most devastated by last week's powerful earthquakes, a school has been transformed into a bustling command center. Radios crackle, medical staff confer, and supplies are meticulously organized. The operation, overseen by casually dressed volunteers aged 20 to 27, is managing a shelter for victims of the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes that have claimed over 2,200 lives.

These young commanders, members of the youth wing of Venezuela's socialist party, are largely homeless themselves after losing their own homes in the disaster. They operate a sophisticated digital system to register the more than 350 residents, tracking injuries, previous addresses, and meal attendance. The team rotates shifts, working around the clock to support those who have lost loved ones, homes, or both.

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We're like the Titanic. We go down with the ship.

"We're like the Titanic. We go down with the ship," said Daniel Rivas, 25, embodying the dedication of the volunteers. The shelter, the 'Republic of Panama' school, offers showers, a medical clinic, a laundromat, and a cafeteria. Children play in the stairwells and on the basketball court. However, the situation is dire in many other shelters across La Guaira, which lack privacy, safe spaces for children, and adequate hygiene facilities, according to Geraldine Gomez of NGO Plan International.

Jose Mendez, another volunteer, described the emotional state of the survivors: "People are 50% very sensitive and 50% full of rage, lost." He noted their anger over lost family members and possessions, but stressed the team's readiness to help. Many of these young volunteers were born just before or after La Guaira's devastating 1999 landslide, a tragedy that claimed up to 30,000 lives, adding a layer of historical context to their current efforts.

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People are 50% very sensitive and 50% full of rage, lost.