US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Thursday that the United States is providing "big, fast, effective" support to Venezuela following a devastating earthquake that has claimed at least 164 lives and left 971 injured, according to acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez.
Immediate Deployment of US Rescue Teams
Speaking to reporters in Manama, Bahrain, Rubio detailed the immediate dispatch of American emergency personnel. "We're already deploying search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles. There'll be some others we'll add," Rubio said. "That's their most immediate need right now: search and rescue efforts."
Rubio noted that Venezuela's airport is "badly damaged," prompting the US Department of War to "deploy assets there." He added that the government will provide assistance with "overhead imagery" to assess damage, "especially in coastal areas where they don't have full visibility over what the damage has been and what the impact has been."
Whole-of-Government Response
"We have a whole-of-government response," Rubio said. "It'll be big. It'll be fast and it'll be effective." He also mentioned that a broader international coalition is taking shape, with multiple countries offering help, including Qatar, El Salvador, and Chile. "There will be some others," he said, adding that these initial deployments are meant to cover "those are the acute short-term needs over the next 48 to 72 hours."
The announcement came as the death toll in Venezuela climbed to at least 164, with 971 confirmed injured, acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced early Thursday. According to CNN, authorities fear the actual number of fatalities could be significantly higher due to the vast number of destroyed and damaged buildings, as emergency teams press on with search and rescue operations. Rodriguez noted that the region has been rattled by at least 30 aftershocks following the primary twin tremors.
Coordination with UN and IMF
In an interview with Venezuela's state broadcaster, Rodriguez stated that she is coordinating with the United Nations to deploy rescue teams, CNN reported. She is also in discussions with the International Monetary Fund to establish an initial fund of USD 200 million for the reconstruction of the nation.
The powerful back-to-back earthquakes hit Venezuela during the early hours of Thursday (Indian Standard Time), causing massive destruction and flattening buildings in the capital city of Caracas. According to officials and monitoring agencies, the twin quakes stand as the most powerful seismic events to strike the Latin American country in a century.
Seismic Details
Data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that the first tremor measured a magnitude of 7.1, striking at a shallow depth of 13 kilometres, with its epicentre situated west of Moron, a coastal community around 168 kilometres west of Caracas. Barely 40 seconds later, a more violent 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the exact same area at a depth of 10 kilometres, with its epicentre roughly 16 kilometres southwest of Moron, severely intensifying the impact across the affected zones.
Following the severe seismic activity, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued tsunami alerts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, though these warnings were subsequently withdrawn.
Next Steps and Long-Term Needs
In light of the ongoing crisis, Rubio said there will be a better assessment of the situation after the next 48 hours in Venezuela. "The second phase, of course, will be identifying their longer-term and acute needs," he told reporters in Bahrain. "We'll have a better assessment of that after the next 48 hours, when we are on the ground and as the Venezuelan authorities get more visibility regarding the level of damage in terms of housing."
Rubio also said the US will see what can be done to help Venezuela restore the internet and telecommunications.
Humanitarian Focus
Emphasising the primary humanitarian focus on the ground, Rubio said the main objective is to rescue victims buried in debris in Venezuela. "Right now we're worried that there are people trapped in rubble. We want to help them get out. Some of those people are relatives that live in the United States, but no matter what, the United States has always responded to humanitarian crises, especially in our own hemisphere. That's what we're focused on now," Rubio told reporters. "We're faced with this and now we have to respond to it, and we will in a very positive way."
