One month after the devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coastline, families continue searching through the rubble for missing relatives while thousands remain displaced and communities struggle to recover.
_x000D_The disaster claimed more than 5,300 lives, injured over 16,500 people and caused an estimated $19.6 billion in damage, making it one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
_x000D_ _x000D_Families Continue Search for Missing Relatives
_x000D_For many survivors, the search has not ended.
_x000D_Fisherman Victor Calderón lost 26 members of his family when their apartment building collapsed in Caraballeda while he was at sea. He says he cannot fully grieve until every missing family member is found.
_x000D_Search and recovery teams continue working through destroyed residential buildings where bodies are still being recovered weeks after the earthquakes.
_x000D_ _x000D_Rescue Teams Face Difficult Recovery Operations
_x000D_Rescue workers remain active in some of the hardest-hit areas, particularly around the OPPE 26 housing complex in Caraballeda.
_x000D_The recovery process has become increasingly challenging as unstable buildings, damaged infrastructure and limited resources slow operations.
_x000D_Families continue gathering near collapsed buildings, hoping for news about missing loved ones.
_x000D_ _x000D_Survivors Question Building Safety
_x000D_Many residents have raised concerns about why multiple apartment blocks collapsed during the earthquakes.
_x000D_Survivors have questioned whether construction standards, building materials or structural design contributed to the scale of destruction.
_x000D_Government officials have defended the buildings, arguing that the nearly simultaneous earthquakes created exceptional conditions that no infrastructure could fully withstand.
_x000D_ _x000D_Thousands Remain Displaced Across Venezuela
_x000D_Large numbers of survivors continue living in temporary shelters and tents while waiting for permanent housing.
_x000D_Although authorities have begun relocating some affected families, reconstruction is expected to take years because of the enormous financial and logistical challenges facing the country.
_x000D_The World Bank estimates physical damage from the earthquakes reached nearly $19.6 billion, affecting homes, infrastructure and businesses across the disaster zone.
_x000D_ _x000D_Recovery Expected to Take Years
_x000D_International humanitarian organisations continue providing emergency food, water and medical assistance to affected communities.
_x000D_Rescue operations remain ongoing in several locations as authorities continue searching for missing people while planning long-term rebuilding efforts.
_x000D_For many Venezuelan families, however, the priority remains finding loved ones still trapped beneath the rubble one month after the disaster.
