A three-year-old boy has been rescued alive from earthquake debris six days after devastating tremors struck Venezuela, according to a Jordanian rescue team. The child, identified as Klieber Morán, was found in La Guaira state, one of the hardest-hit regions.
Video footage shared by the rescue team showed jubilant rescuers cheering as the boy was pulled from the wreckage. Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, described the rescue as a moment of hope amid the ongoing crisis.
The rescue occurred well after the typical 72-hour window, when experts suggest the chances of finding survivors decrease significantly. Klieber received first aid from the Jordanian civil defence before being transported to a hospital in Caracas, the capital, where his vital signs were reported as good.
The earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, have caused extensive damage, destroying or damaging an estimated 58,870 buildings according to initial satellite data from NASA. The confirmed death toll has risen to 1,943, with more than 10,000 people injured and tens of thousands still unaccounted for.
Humanitarian Crisis
La Guaira has suffered significant destruction, with many local residents participating in self-led rescue efforts. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that food shortages are widespread in the area, and basic services, including communications, have been largely severed. Community tensions are reportedly rising due to constrained access to aid.
Daniela Armas, an 18-year-old resident of La Guaira, described the situation as desperate, with people resorting to intense competition for limited supplies. The UNHCR has appealed for an initial $15 million to provide protection, essential relief items, and temporary shelter for 30,000 earthquake-affected individuals over six months.
The World Health Organization has warned that health services are under extreme pressure, increasing the risk of outbreaks for vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and diphtheria due to diminished vaccination coverage.