Pope Leo has sent an emergency donation of 100,000 euros to Venezuela as rescue efforts continue following devastating earthquakes that have killed at least 164 people and left widespread destruction. Source: Vatican News.
Many more were injured, and countless others are believed to be trapped after the two powerful earthquakes struck the South American country.
More than 20 aftershocks have rattled the region, with tremors felt as far away as Colombia.
As rescue efforts continue and the full scale of the disaster begins to emerge, Pope Leo sent the emergency donation of 100,000 euros ($164,510) through the Apostolic Almoner’s Office.
The Holy See said the aid, coordinated with the Apostolic Nuncio to Venezuela, Archbishop Alberto Ortega Martín, and Caracas Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo, is only a first step, with further assistance to follow in response to the needs identified by the local Church.
The Pope’s contribution comes as Catholic communities across Venezuela open parish buildings to shelter displaced families and organise emergency assistance through local Caritas networks.
Rescue teams are searching scores of collapsed buildings following Wednesday evening’s earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude.
Caracas’ Simón Bolívar International Airport remains closed, while the worst devastation has been reported in the coastal state of La Guaira, north of the capital, where dozens of buildings have collapsed.
President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a national state of disaster and emergency, describing La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has urged residents to remain outdoors and away from damaged buildings as engineers assess the stability of critical infrastructure.
The damage is widespread and severe. Churches, including Caracas Cathedral and several parish churches, have suffered structural damage, while seminaries and other Church buildings have also been affected.
Even so, Church leaders continue to provide shelter, food and pastoral care to those who have lost their homes.
International assistance is beginning to arrive from across the Americas and beyond, as search-and-rescue teams race against time in the hope of finding more survivors beneath the rubble.
Caritas Australia has also started an appeal for Venezuela: https://www.caritas.org.au/venezuela
FULL STORY
Pope Leo sends aid to earthquake-struck Venezuela (By James Blears and Francesca Merlo, Vatican News)
