The United Nations confirmed Friday that international search and rescue teams from at least 17 countries are being mobilized to Venezuela to assist in the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes that struck on Wednesday.
Top Priority: Getting Rescue Teams to the Scene
The UN humanitarian agency OCHA stated that deploying these teams is the “top priority.” Spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, “Earthquakes are one of the most devastating things that can happen to any country. It really is a terrifying thing. But what we are seeing right now is also an international mobilization at its very best. The entire humanitarian system is moving very fast, and at scale.”
According to Laerke, a total of 25 teams are being deployed, including 17 national urban search and rescue teams and eight emergency medical response teams, comprising a total of 1,000 rescue personnel. Additional teams are expected to follow.
Teams Already on the Ground
Teams from Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United States have already arrived in Venezuela. Others from Britain, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Jordan, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Spain are also being mobilized.
The 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes have killed at least 235 people, with the death toll expected to rise.
Rescue Remains the Priority
The World Health Organization emphasized that immediate needs include mass casualty management and trauma care, particularly in areas with collapsed buildings. Ciro Ugarte, emergencies director for PAHO, the WHO’s Americas regional branch, said, “The overriding priority is to rescue as many people as possible while urgently providing life-saving health care to the injured. The first 72 hours are critical to saving lives, and efforts are heavily focused on ensuring timely medical attention for those affected.” He warned that “the number of deaths and injured people will significantly increase in the coming hours and days.”
Fragile Health System Under Strain
Ugarte noted that the earthquakes hit a health system already under strain. More than 15 health ministries in the region have pledged support and are ready to deploy teams. PAHO experts are mapping affected health facilities and have identified over 90 hospitals exposed to shaking intensities beyond six and seven on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. “We are prioritising those facilities, including the assessment of the structural safety, emergency department capacities, operating theaters, inpatient beds, blood supply, and oxygen,” Ugarte said. Hospitals are treating injuries such as broken bones, head injuries, burns, and other trauma from building collapses.
