Rescue operations continued amid grim prospects in the aftermath of twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s La Guaira state on June 24. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors caused widespread destruction, leading to the collapse or severe damage of approximately 59,000 buildings, according to NASA estimates.

In the hardest-hit areas, including the Los Cocos public housing complex in La Guaira and the coastal town of Macuto, rescuers worked tirelessly to locate survivors trapped beneath rubble. However, hopes of finding additional survivors have diminished. Rescue teams from Ecuador and the United States paused their efforts in Macuto after more than 40 hours of searching for a mother and her three children believed trapped under a nine-story building, with no response detected. Major Jorge Montanero, leader of the Ecuadorian EQ11 rescue team, acknowledged the likelihood that only fatalities remain to be recovered.

Despite the cessation of formal search efforts at some sites, neighbors and relatives have continued to remove debris in an attempt to rescue survivors or retrieve bodies. The toll from the disaster remains uncertain, with thousands reported missing and the official death count varying. Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez has reported at least 1,943 fatalities and thousands injured, while a government-opposition-backed website estimates around 43,000 people remain unaccounted for. The International Rescue Committee emphasized that tens of thousands remain missing beyond the critical 72-hour survival window, after which chances of rescue sharply decline.

At a makeshift morgue in La Guaira, rows of bodies have been laid out in body bags, with some awaiting identification or collection by family members. Gianluca Rampolla, the United Nations’ resident coordinator in Venezuela, indicated that authorities are preparing up to 10,000 body bags to manage the mounting fatalities. The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed response capabilities, with the IRC noting that the humanitarian effort so far falls short of the widespread need.

The disaster has also placed significant strain on Venezuela’s healthcare system. The World Health Organization reported that at least three health centers have been seriously damaged and six others are partially functional, while risks of outbreaks of diseases such as yellow fever and dengue have increased due to low vaccination coverage.

Amid the ongoing crisis, the World Food Programme has requested $50 million to provide emergency food aid to up to 500,000 affected people over the coming three months. Meanwhile, authorities and aid organizations continue working under difficult conditions to address urgent needs and manage the aftermath of the earthquakes, which have left approximately 16,000 people homeless in the affected regions.