A newborn infant has been pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building in Venezuela, as the UK charity Save the Children announced an emergency appeal to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the country. The rescue, which took place in the working-class neighbourhood of Petare on the outskirts of Caracas, has been hailed by local officials as a rare moment of hope amid the deepening political and economic turmoil.
The building, a four-storey residential block, collapsed late on Tuesday following heavy rains that have caused widespread flooding and landslides across several states. Rescue workers, including members of the Civil Protection force, spent hours sifting through debris before locating the infant, who is reported to be in stable condition and receiving medical care at a nearby hospital.
Save the Children, which has operated in Venezuela for over three decades, issued a statement on Wednesday calling for urgent donations to support its programmes focusing on child nutrition, health, and protection. The charity warned that the latest natural disaster, combined with hyperinflation, fuel shortages, and a collapsing healthcare system, has pushed millions of children to the brink.
“This rescue is a miracle, but it should not distract from the broader catastrophe unfolding across Venezuela,” said a spokesperson for Save the Children. “Children are dying from preventable diseases and malnutrition. Our teams are doing everything possible to reach the most vulnerable, but we cannot do it without additional resources.”
The appeal comes as the International Monetary Fund projects that Venezuela’s economy will contract by a further 15% this year, with inflation exceeding 1,000,000%. The United Nations estimates that 94% of the population lives in poverty, and 7 million people have fled the country since 2014.
Political analysts point out that the crisis has been exacerbated by the ongoing standoff between President Nicolás Maduro’s government and the opposition, which has paralysed efforts to secure international aid. The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions targeting Maduro’s inner circle, but these have done little to alleviate the suffering of ordinary Venezuelans.
In the immediate aftermath of the building collapse, local residents described scenes of desperation as they clawed through rubble with bare hands. “We heard a baby crying. It was the only sound in the silence,” said Maria Fernandez, a neighbour who assisted in the rescue. “We dug for hours. When we found her, she was covered in dust but alive. It felt like a sign from God.”
Save the Children’s appeal is focused on providing emergency food supplies, clean water, and medical care to children and their families in the hardest-hit regions. The charity also aims to establish temporary learning spaces for children who have been displaced by the disaster.
The Venezuelan government has not yet commented on the rescue or the charity’s appeal. However, local authorities have declared a state of emergency in Petare and are coordinating relief efforts with international organisations.
As the international community grapples with how to respond, the image of a newborn saved from the rubble serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of a crisis that shows no signs of abating.
