Three-year-old rescued after six days under rubble as international aid reaches Venezuela following twin earthquakes

Rescue after six days

Venezuelan authorities confirmed the rescue of three-year-old Klieber Morán on the morning of 30 June, nearly 140 hours after the first earthquake struck on 24 June. The child was found in the Los Corales area of La Guaira, the state hardest hit by the twin seismic events. Jordanian rescue workers carried out the extraction, the Ministry of Communication said, labeling the operation a "miracle in La Guaira."

This shipment could not arrive at a more critical time for the children of Venezuela. Families urgently need drinking water and access to healthcare. Many are sleeping outdoors for fear of further aftershocks.

A second child had been rescued from a collapsed building in La Guaira the previous day, according to government reports. More than 3,300 rescue workers from 27 countries, coordinated by the United Nations, are currently searching for survivors.

International humanitarian surge

A wide range of governments and organisations have mobilised aid. Ecuador dispatched 14 tonnes of supplies (11.4 tonnes of drinking water and 2.6 tonnes of hygiene products) aboard a C-130 Hercules on Tuesday. The cargo left from Guayaquil and was gathered through a national collection drive involving public institutions, businesses and universities.

BBVA announced a €5 million donation and channelled an additional 28 tonnes of humanitarian aid via Mexico’s Foreign Ministry. The funds will be distributed through the Red Cross, UNICEF, UNHCR and local partners. The bank’s Venezuelan subsidiary, BBVA Provincial, has waived account transfer fees temporarily, converted its headquarters into a collection centre and is providing psychosocial support and temporary housing for staff.

UNICEF received 47 tonnes of material from EU stockpiles held at its Copenhagen supply hub. The shipment includes emergency health kits for safe deliveries and neonatal care, water purification equipment, tents, wheelchairs and recreational items. The UN agency estimates that 680,000 children need assistance across the six affected states and has issued a US$52 million appeal. ACNUR notes that 39% of the displaced population is now living on streets or in public spaces and says US$13 million is required for the response.

Spanish medical deployment

Cruz Roja Española is deploying an emergency clinic with 14 specialists (medical and psychosocial staff) that will operate for at least four months and is equipped to serve more than 30,000 people. Services will include triage, first aid, stabilisation and referral of trauma cases.

The Spanish Emergency Committee, an alliance of eight international NGOs including Acción contra el Hambre, Médicos del Mundo, Oxfam Intermón and Plan International, activated its protocol on 25 June and has already raised €631,666. Member organisations are providing food, clean water, shelter, hygiene kits and protection for unaccompanied minors. Cruz Roja Española has also set up a reunion service for Venezuelans in Spain who have lost contact with relatives; more than 2,000 people have already used the service via a web form or the freephone number 900 221122.

Institutional gestures

Queen Letizia of Spain is scheduled to visit the medical emergency team of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) at 08:00 on Wednesday 1 July at Terminal 4 of Madrid-Barajas Airport, where she will see them off before their departure to Venezuela. The gesture follows expressions of solidarity made by the Royal Household on 25 June, when the King and Queen posted a message of support on social media and the Queen told reporters that the coming weeks would pose a huge challenge for rescue operations and eventual reconstruction.