Rescue. Relief. Protection
On June 24, two earthquakes struck Venezuela 39 seconds apart, the strongest in more than a century. Entire neighborhoods are gone. More than 1,400 people are confirmed dead, over 50,000 are still missing, and the search has entered its final hours.
The number you are reading is sadly not the final number. U.S. Geological Survey modeling projects the death toll has a substantial probability of exceeding 10,000, with a real possibility of climbing past 100,000 as collapsed buildings are reached. Behind every figure is a family waiting to know, and a window that is closing.
The first 72 hours are when survivors can still be pulled out alive. Local responders have been digging since Wednesday with little rest and little equipment. They are exhausted, and they need help and hope now.
Aerial Recovery is deploying. Our partners are already on the ground, and our veteran-led teams arrive within 24 hours with search and rescue specialists, and working to clear certified K9 teams, and victim-location equipment built to find people beneath the rubble. We work alongside local responders, never around them.
But the rubble is only the first danger. After a disaster, the systems that protect children collapse with the buildings, and traffickers move in. Separated and orphaned children become targets. This pattern is documented after nearly every major disaster, and it is why our teams also work to protect vulnerable children and harden shelters against abuse. For us, saving lives and stopping evil are the same mission.
