Young survivors of Venezuela quakes run shelters as search drags on

In La Guaira, Venezuela's worst-hit coastal state, makeshift command centres have been established inside schools as volunteers coordinate shelter operations for thousands of people displaced by last week's twin earthquakes.

The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 and striking less than a minute apart, have killed more than 2,200 people, according to official figures. Humanitarian organisations warn the true death toll and the number of people missing could be significantly higher.

Youth volunteers manage crisis shelters

At the "Republic of Panama" school, a former classroom has been transformed into a 24-hour coordination hub run largely by volunteers aged between 20 and 27.

The group, linked to the youth wing of Venezuela's socialist party, has built a digital register tracking more than 350 residents across classrooms converted into dormitories with bunk beds, medical spaces and basic sanitation facilities.

Their system records injuries, previous addresses and even meal distribution, helping to manage one of nine shelters operating across La Guaira.

"We're like the Titanic. We go down with the ship," said volunteer Daniel Rivas, 25, describing the emotional toll of managing the disaster while also being displaced himself.

Rising frustration among survivors

Residents describe a population caught between grief and anger as families search for missing relatives and await updates on government assistance.

"We are 50% very sensitive and 50% full of rage, lost," said shelter worker José Méndez. "They are angry about not finding their family members, about losing everything. But we're ready to help."

An unofficial list of missing people has grown to more than 40,000, while aid organisations warn conditions in many shelters remain inadequate, particularly for children and mothers.

Strained humanitarian response

Aid organisations say the scale of the emergency is outpacing the response. The International Rescue Committee says current efforts are not meeting needs on the ground, while Plan International has raised concerns about overcrowding, a lack of privacy and limited hygiene facilities in several shelters.

"Children have no space for recreation, for play, for talking," said Geraldine Gómez of Plan International.

Government pledges recovery efforts

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has acknowledged public frustration, saying authorities are continuing recovery operations and assistance for affected communities. She has also declared seven days of national mourning.

However, many survivors say aid distribution and documentation support, including replacement identity cards and housing assistance, have been slow to reach those in need.

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Rescue operations continue in devastated neighbourhoods

In heavily damaged areas such as the Los Cocos housing complex, civilian rescue teams, supported by soldiers, continue to search through collapsed buildings.

In one case, rescuers recovered the bodies of three people who died holding each other. Elsewhere, teams reported hearing faint sounds beneath the rubble but were unable to confirm whether anyone remained trapped.

Military personnel have been deployed across La Guaira to secure roads and support recovery efforts as civilian and military teams continue coordinated search operations.

Families wait amid uncertainty

For many families, the uncertainty continues as they wait for news of missing relatives.

One resident, still searching for family members believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, said recovery efforts were essential regardless of the outcome.

"But it doesn't matter. We have to get them all out," she said.

As rescue teams work through unstable debris and overcrowded shelters struggle to cope, authorities face growing pressure to accelerate humanitarian assistance following one of the region's worst natural disasters in decades.

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