Venezuela is reeling from the aftermath of two devastating earthquakes that struck the country last week. The effects of over a decade of government mismanagement and economic sanctions are evident in the country’s overwhelmed hospitals, which are struggling to treat the injured.

Medical Crisis

Dr. Huníades Urbina-Medina, a doctor at Dr. José Manuel de Los Ríos Children’s Hospital in Caracas, stated that the hospital can only treat four children at a time in the intensive care unit due to a lack of personnel, medicines, and mechanical ventilators. The hospital has treated roughly 100 children since the earthquakes, but many more are in need of medical attention.

The Venezuelan government has reported over 1,700 deaths and more than 5,000 injuries, but the true extent of the damage is still unknown. The US Geological Survey estimates that the earthquakes may have killed tens of thousands of people.

Humanitarian Crisis

The earthquakes have left thousands of people displaced, with many forced to live in temporary shelters. The government has extended school closures, and undamaged schools are being used as shelters. The smell of death lingers in the streets, and families are waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones who are still trapped under the rubble.

Mirella Herrera, a mother who is waiting for news of her son and his family, said, ‘I feel that my son is strong. I feel that he’s waiting for me, that he knows that I’m here watching him. For that reason, I don’t want to give up.’

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.