Venezuelans living in Ireland have called on Irish people to support the humanitarian efforts under way following two massive earthquakes in the South American country.At least 2,600 people were killed when twin earthquakes hit the country’s northern coast on June 24th. Thousands more were left injured or homeless. The state of La Guaira was worst affected. Yonelys Ainagas, who has lived in Ireland since 2013, said the people of Venezuela “are living through an unimaginable tragedy”. Speaking at a rally in St Stephen’s Green in Dublin on Saturday, Ainagas said: “Families have lost loved ones, thousands have been injured, and many have been left homeless, waiting for food, clean water, medical care and hope.”Ainagas told The Irish Times that Venezuela will be largely reliant on international aid and called on Irish people to donate to reputable charities working on the ground in the country.“Every act of support, whether through humanitarian assistance, medical aid, emergency supplies, fundraising or simply raising awareness, can help save lives and bring hope to those who have lost everything.”Alexa Hill, an Irish citizen, was on the phone to her mother when the earthquake struck last month.“She started to scream, and she started to tell me, ‘Oh my God, there is an earthquake’,” Hill recalled. Her mother was not too close to the epicentre of the quakes and survived, but Hill said the phone call was terrifying.“My family is okay, my friends are okay, but I have friends here in Ireland that have had family that died,” she said.[ ‘I saw a ray of light’: Venezuelan man pulled alive from collapsed building eight days after earthquakesOpens in new window ]Hill said it will be “very hard” for people in Venezuela to rebuild their lives. She said this would be difficult in any circumstance but will be particularly hard for people there due to the economic crisis.The country has suffered from years of economic collapse, hyperinflation and corruption. “Venezuela didn’t have a proper healthcare [system] before this happened,” Hill said.“Venezuela was suffering an economic crisis before this happened, people were not able to live properly in Venezuela. So, now imagine after this catastrophe has happened, how they are at the moment.”Many Venezuelans have accused the government of being too slow to respond to the earthquakes.Collapsed residential buildings in the Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi public housing estate in Catia La Mar, Venezuela. Photograph: Adriana Loureiro Fernandez/The New York Times