A three-year-old boy has been rescued alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela, six days after two powerful earthquakes devastated large parts of the country and killed nearly 2,000 people.
The child, identified as Klieber Morán, was pulled from the debris in La Guaira state by a Jordanian rescue team. Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez described the rescue as a “source of hope for our people” amid the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
According to Jordan’s civil defence agency, the boy received first aid at the scene before being transported to a hospital. Venezuelan Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez later confirmed that Klieber was being treated in the capital, Caracas, and that his condition was stable with good vital signs.
The dramatic rescue came well beyond the critical first 72-hour window, the period during which experts say trapped victims have the highest chance of survival. The discovery has renewed hopes that more survivors could still be found beneath the ruins.
The twin earthquakes, measuring magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela last week, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. Authorities reported that the death toll had risen to 1,943, with more than 10,000 people injured and tens of thousands still unaccounted for.
Satellite assessments conducted by NASA estimate that approximately 58,870 buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed by the powerful tremors.
La Guaira remains one of the worst-affected regions, where many residents have been forced to conduct rescue operations themselves due to limited resources and delayed assistance.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that food shortages are becoming increasingly severe, while basic services and communication systems have largely collapsed in the disaster-stricken state.
“Community tensions are rising as access to assistance remains constrained,” the UNHCR said in a statement, highlighting the growing humanitarian challenges facing survivors.
Eighteen-year-old street vendor Daniela Armas, who suffered injuries when she fell from a motorcycle during the quake, described chaotic scenes during aid distributions.
“Some supplies are arriving, but sometimes people almost fight each other for food,” she told AFP. “It’s like a cockfight.”
The UNHCR has appealed for an initial $15 million in funding to provide emergency protection, essential relief items and temporary shelter for approximately 30,000 people affected by the disaster over the next six months.
The World Health Organization has also expressed concern about deteriorating health conditions, warning that the country’s healthcare system is under “extreme pressure.” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said there is now an increased risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and diphtheria because of low vaccination coverage.
Despite the scale of the destruction, rescue operations continue across the country. Domestic and international teams from the United States, Mexico and several other nations remain on the ground, using trained dogs and heavy equipment to search for survivors.
Humanitarian assistance is also beginning to reach Venezuela. The United Nations confirmed that a 47-tonne shipment of emergency supplies arrived on Tuesday, including medical kits, maternal and newborn care supplies and disease prevention equipment.
As rescue efforts continue, thousands of Venezuelan families are mourning loved ones lost in the disaster. At a temporary morgue established at La Guaira’s port, resident Wilker Molalla said he was waiting to identify the bodies of several family members.
“There were 11 people in my household,” he said. “Only two of us survived because we were at work.”
