Rescue teams operate heavy machinery at the site of a collapsed building in Caracas on June 25, 2026, following earthquakes. Desperate Venezuelans raced to find and rescue loved ones trapped alive beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings after two major earthquakes, measured at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, hit northern Venezuela killing at least 235 people and leaving more than 1,500 injured. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
The World Health Organization voiced concerns Tuesday about potential disease outbreaks in Venezuela with local health services overwhelmed following deadly earthquakes.
“The health services are under extreme pressure now, with facilities operating beyond the capacity,” spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a press conference in Geneva, noting the surge in trauma cases.
By the latest official count, some 1,700 are dead and 5,000 are injured, with no governmental word on the number of missing. Other estimates place these in the tens of thousands.
The WHO also said there were problems with adequately registering casualties and tracking missing persons following the 7.5- and 7.2-magnitude earthquakes on Wednesday.
