Swiss Rescue personnel have concluded their search-and-rescue mission in Venezuela and are returning home, as authorities report that the death toll from last week’s two powerful earthquakes has now exceeded 1,450, with more than 3,150 injured and over 12,700 families affected.
The Swiss Rescue Chain, a coordinated network of specialists from the Federal Office for Civil Protection, the Swiss Armed Forces and partner organisations, had been on the ground since Friday, working to free people trapped in the rubble. Having completed their mission, the team is now handing over to local and international partners while Switzerland continues to provide emergency humanitarian aid.
“Swiss rescue workers took shifts day and night amid high temperatures and humidity to rescue people from the rubble. Sadly, they only found the bodies of the deceased.”
What Swiss Rescue Did
The deployment focused on urban search and rescue in the worst-hit areas, where entire blocks of buildings collapsed in the initial tremors and subsequent aftershocks. Swiss specialists brought heavy equipment, detection dogs and technical expertise to locate and extract survivors from unstable structures, a task that requires both speed and extreme caution to avoid further collapses.
According to the DDPS, the Swiss team worked alongside other international rescue contingents under the coordination of Venezuelan authorities and the UN.
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Switzerland Pulls Rescue Teams From Venezuela But Continues Humanitarian Aid
Although the rescue phase has ended, Switzerland is continuing its humanitarian response. The Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit is sending specialists to assist survivors with emergency shelter, water, sanitation and medical support.
The Federal Council has previously approved emergency aid packages for Venezuela, including contributions to the UN’s emergency appeal and direct support to the Red Cross and other humanitarian partners on the ground.
The Scale of the Disaster
The earthquakes struck Venezuela last week, with the first major tremor followed by a second powerful shock that caused additional collapses and hampered rescue efforts. According to UN data cited by the DDPS, more than 50,000 people have been displaced, and entire neighbourhoods in several cities have been reduced to rubble.
The Swiss government has urged anyone wishing to help to donate through official humanitarian channels rather than attempting to travel independently to the affected areas.
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