Rescue crews continue to sift through the rubble of a collapsed public housing block in La Guaira, an area that could have accommodated up to 900 residents. A volunteer team has established an emergency response camp to support the ongoing effort.
The camp is equipped with floodlights, refrigerators, tents, aid collection points, and a makeshift health clinic. It serves as a critical support hub for rescue workers, survivors, and families of the missing following the devastating earthquakes on June 24.
Carolina Vivas, a logistics professional with experience in NGO emergency responses, leads the operation. She arrived in the damaged suburb of Tanaguarenas the weekend after the quake and found that aid had barely reached the area.
Vivas explained that she and her friends organized the camp to provide essential energy, food, and medicine. They mobilized local resources to meet the immediate needs of those on the ground.
She set up a disinfecting zone marked by a blue tarp and a table stocked with sanitizers, requiring all visitors to clean themselves before entering the camp.
Doctors and nurses have been brought to the site, offering primary care to rescue teams and individuals waiting for updates on missing relatives. Vivas reports that she searches daily for medical professionals willing to assist.
Heatstroke is a common issue, as teams work under the intense Caribbean sun. The camp supplies cold water, electrolyte drinks, and oxygen for those pulled from the wreckage, providing lifesaving first aid.
Vivas emphasizes the urgency of the situation, noting that every minute counts in a crisis environment.
Local volunteers contribute daily, delivering food, water, and medical supplies. Vivas commends their generosity, stating that their efforts keep the operation moving forward.
To coordinate deliveries, she maintains a communication group that tracks volunteer arrivals and the items they bring, ensuring that supplies are distributed efficiently.
Twelve days after the earthquake, families remain in limbo, waiting for the bodies of lost loved ones. One resident has spent nearly two weeks on the street, hoping for a proper burial.
The resident has expressed a steadfast determination to recover the remains, refusing to leave the area until the bodies are retrieved.
Volunteer teams work around the clock, striving to support recovery efforts and give families the chance to say goodbye.
Vivas continues to stay on site, driven by a commitment to assist the families she has met during the crisis.
