A week after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, the country is grappling with a catastrophe. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes, occurring less than a minute apart, have officially killed 2,645 people, with 38,500 missing. The UN reports the government has ordered 10,000 body bags. Roads cracked, buildings collapsed, and thousands of lives were shattered.

International rescue teams, joined by local volunteers with hammers and shovels, continue to search through rubble for survivors. In the coastal city of La Guaira, one of the worst-hit areas, dozens of high-rise apartments lie in ruins. The Caribbean breeze carries the stench of decomposing bodies, and vultures circle overhead. Residents line the streets, watching anxiously, some praying for miracles, others hoping to bury their loved ones.

Grief has turned to anger among the displaced, who accuse the government of constructing shoddy housing and failing to enforce safety standards. “All the help has come from volunteers, private companies, and embassies. We haven’t seen help from the government anywhere,” said one survivor. Another added: “Foreign leaders are helping, but not this government. It’s corruption. They keep everything for themselves.”

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez defended the government’s response, denying it could have acted faster. However, many survivors claim no officials have visited. “No one from the government has come here. Never,” said a woman. Thousands now live in makeshift tent camps in parks and squares. Gomez and his son, who lost their home, now reside in Caracas’s Parque del Este. “Thank God we weren’t in the apartment—we were walking the dogs. The whole building came down,” he recounted.

Medical workers struggle to treat patients in shock, with shortages of medicine. “Many patients with diabetes and hypertension have worsened, but they are more stable now than in the early days,” said a doctor. International aid has arrived, but locals accuse officials of diverting resources. “A lot of aid has been diverted. No matter how much aid we have, nothing reaches us,” a resident lamented. The search for survivors continues, but hope is dwindling.

Source: www.aljazeera.com