Orla Guerin

Vast areas of Venezuela remain without adequate government assistance following powerful twin earthquakes, leaving residents and volunteers to lead search-and-rescue efforts with minimal equipment. An aftershock renewed anxiety as the death toll surpassed 1,700 and tens of thousands remained missing. Survivors and relatives criticised authorities for slow deployment of heavy machinery and limited official presence in the hardest-hit zones. International aid has expanded, with contributions from the UN, US, Netherlands and China, and multinational teams continue to pull survivors from the rubble. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez announced new damage-assessment measures and temporary housing while acknowledging the scale of destruction and ongoing aftershocks.