The country’s health minister says at least 235 people have been killed and 4,300 others wounded, with most casualties recorded in the northern coastal region of La Guaira.
The interior minister says more than 70,000 families have been affected in the hard-hit northern coastal state of La Guaira, where more than 100 buildings have collapsed.
Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the US are among the countries sending search-and-rescue teams and other humanitarian aid, alongside the UN.
The US-based Center for Economic and Policy Research has urged the US and other countries to lift sanctions on Venezuela to help Caracas quickly respond to the earthquakes, Al Jazeera reported.
Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard warns that the earthquakes risk “further compounding an already severe and protracted human rights crisis and humanitarian emergency suffered by the Venezuelan people for over a decade”.
The UN’s child rights agency, UNICEF, has warned that thousands of children are at risk following the quakes and called for their needs to be prioritized.
Venezuela was struck by a pair of earthquakes, recording magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, on Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has declared a state of emergency.
Roughly 250 buildings have been destroyed in the seismic activity, leaving approximately 3,000 families without shelter. More structures need to be assessed for stability before reopening.
MNA
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