Venezuelan medics fear earthquake aftermath will trigger widening medical crisis

By — Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press Regina Garcia Cano, Associated Press By — Megan Janetsky, Associated Press Megan Janetsky, Associated Press By — Isabel DeBre, Associated Press Isabel DeBre, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/venezuelan-medics-fear-earthquake-aftermath-will-trigger-widening-medical-crisis Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Venezuelan medics fear earthquake aftermath will trigger widening medical crisis World Jul 2, 2026 3:19 PM EDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Doctors said Wednesday they feared the aftermath of Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes could trigger a widening medical crisis marked by untreated injuries, infectious diseases and a healthcare system already on the brink. Thousands of displaced Venezuelans are sleeping in crowded shelters or outside without access to clean water amid dismal sanitary conditions following the June 24 earthquakes which officials say killed at least 2,295 and left more than 11,000 injured. READ MORE: Venezuelan security guard pulled alive from earthquake basement rubble after 8 days Aid workers said the aftermath of the quakes has become a major medical crisis that, unless quickly controlled, would take more lives in the days and weeks ahead. The emergency has laid bare Venezuela's chronic shortage of doctors, the result of years of economic crisis, underfunding and emigration. "The issue we foresee just around the corner is the infections that patients who have been exposed to the disaster for the longest time might bring," said Eugenio Cova, the head of the trauma unit at Hospital del Oeste Dr. José Gregorio Hernández in Caracas, the capital. "We've already gone through a period of complex trauma — which will continue to occur — but now it's complicated by infections." Aid workers also warn that the extensive damage to infrastructure could fuel outbreaks of diseases in the hardest-hit communities. "It's very hot and there's a lot of concern about potential vector-borne diseases," said Veronique Durroux, the U.N. humanitarian agency spokesperson for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Waste management is an issue. Debris management, when you see the scale of devastation, it's very concerning." U.S. military deploys 900 personnel to aid Venezuela The United States had 900 military personnel currently on the ground to support relief and rescue operations as of Wednesday, Steven McLoud, a U.S. Southern Command spokesperson, told The Associated Press. The military has repaired an earthquake-damaged runway at the country's main international airport that serves Caracas to allow for the arrival of humanitarian assistance and stationed naval assets off the coast to receive airlifted survivors. An additional 100 people from the U.S. State Department have been sent to aid those efforts, McLoud said. READ MORE: Aid workers warn of infectious diseases, overwhelmed hospitals after Venezuela eart