Venezuelans in Colombia scramble to send aid as earthquakes death toll increases

The Americas

By 

Manuel Rueda

Outside a community center in Bogota, volunteers load boxes with clothes and food onto a truck that will take supplies to victims of Venezuela's earthquake. Manuel Reda for NPR hide caption

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Three days after a powerful double earthquake struck Venezuela, President Delcy Rodríguez has pledged to save "as many people as possible" and called for unity as the death toll from the country's worst earthquakes in more than a century continues to rise.

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More than 1,400 people are dead and over 3,200 injured, according to authorities, with many still unaccounted for. Thousands more have been left homeless, with survivors sleeping in public squares, shelters or parks.

But on the ground, frustration is growing over what many see as a slow and disjointed response.

International teams are arriving, but limited equipment and an overstretched health system are slowing the effort. In several hard-hit areas, there are still no heavy rescue tools, with residents forced to dig through rubble by hand.

In Colombia, home to the largest Venezuelan population abroad, hundreds of people have turned up at community centers to donate non-perishable food, hygiene products, clothing, and even pet supplies.

Humanitarian groups across Colombia and other neighboring countries are now racing to collect essential items to support survivors in the weeks ahead.

Volunteers bring pet food to the community center. Manuel Reda/for NPR hide caption

Isabel Mendoza, a Venezuelan street vendor who has lived in Colombia for the past five years, arrived at a donation center in Bogotá with clothes she no longer uses, along with gloves, face masks and rolls of toilet paper she bought after learning of the disaster.

"I'm from Maracaibo, so my family was not affected," Mendoza said. "But I've been to places like Caracas and La Guaira, and it just breaks my heart to see this happening to our people."

Mariana Godoy, a logistics specialist, arrived with a shopping cart filled with bottled water, energy drinks, cookies, deodorants and sanitary products. She said a relative, a doctor in Caracas, was unable to return home after his building was badly damaged and is now sleeping in his office with his wife and children.

"Our country is going through a really tough moment, so we must do all we can to help," Godoy said.

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Gisella Serrano, a Venezuelan humanitarian worker, said she expects the crisis to last for months. Her foundation is coordinating with other groups to store supplies in warehouses before sending them to Venezuela on flights, with support from Colombian airlines.

But aid groups say delivering donations will require negotiating permits with the Venezuelan government.

The government has previously been reluctant to accept assistance from private organizations, particularly those linked to opposition groups. Within Venezuela, activists have accused authorities of obstructing relief efforts. In some cases, they say donations have even been confiscated.

"This crisis will go on for some time," Serrano said. "This is not something that will be solved in a matter of days."

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Venezuela

earthquake relief

Colombia

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