UN and other humanitarian agencies issued a joint call Friday for "solidarity" after deadly twin quakes rocked Venezuela, insisting that "the international community must not allow this emergency to deepen into a larger human tragedy".
"The people of Venezuela need solidarity now," the heads of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee -- a forum of United Nations and non-UN humanitarian organizations -- said in a statement, urging "rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access" to those affected.
The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela more than doubled Friday to 589, interim president Delcy Rodriguez said, as rescuers boosted by international teams raced to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings.
Rescuers used heavy machinery but also their bare hands in a race to pluck out people caught under rubble in the earthquake zone west of the capital Caracas.
"This disaster comes on top of an already challenging humanitarian context" in Venezuela, the humanitarian chiefs said.
"Even before the earthquakes, millions of people across Venezuela were facing food insecurity, collapsing health services, protection risks, and limited access to basic services," they said.
"For many communities already living in vulnerability, this latest shock is catastrophic."
The statement highlighted that humanitarian organizations were helping assess needs and deliver life-saving assistance.
"At this critical time, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, safe operational conditions, and transparent information sharing are essential to ensure assistance reaches those most affected," it said.
The humanitarian chiefs also called on the broader international community to "act swiftly and decisively by providing flexible and timely funding to scale up emergency relief, including shelter, food, health care, protection, water and sanitation, and psychosocial support".
