Search and rescue operations continue in Venezuela six days after powerful earthquakes struck the country, leaving widespread destruction and humanitarian challenges.

A Jordanian rescue team reported that a three-year-old boy, named Klieber Morán by Venezuela's interim president, was pulled alive from the rubble in La Guaira state. The Jordanian civil defence confirmed Klieber received first aid and was taken to a hospital with stable vital signs. Venezuelan Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said the child was being treated in the capital, Caracas. Delcy Rodríguez described the rescue as a moment of hope.

The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, have caused extensive damage. NASA's initial satellite data assessment indicates approximately 58,870 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The death toll has risen to 1,943, with over 10,000 injured and tens of thousands unaccounted for.

The UNHCR reports severe food shortages in La Guaira, the worst-hit state, where basic services have collapsed and connectivity is largely cut. A rapid assessment across La Guaira, the Capital District, Miranda, Aragua, and Carabobo found about half of survivors sheltering with relatives or neighbors, while nearly 40% live in streets, public spaces, churches, schools, or improvised shelters lacking basic safety and hygiene. Unaccompanied and separated children have also been identified among the displaced.

Health services are under major strain. WHO data for 21 facilities across Caracas, La Guaira, Miranda, and Falcón shows three in critical condition and six structurally damaged or partly functional, causing overcrowding, surgical backlogs, and breakdowns in biosafety and morgue services. WHO warned of increased risks of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, oropouche, and malaria, exacerbated by low pre-quake vaccination coverage and the loss of health workers, including maternal care providers in La Guaira.

Community tensions are rising as access to aid remains constrained. Daniela Armas, an 18-year-old vendor injured during the quakes, told AFP that while some supplies are being distributed, "sometimes people nearly kill each other for food... it's like a cockfight."

The UNHCR has called for an initial $15 million to scale up protection, core relief items, and temporary shelter support for 30,000 earthquake-affected people over six months. The UN has warned that tens of thousands urgently need food and shelter.

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