A gran has revealed the horror inside Venezuela after the country was hit by a major earthquake. (Image: Alex Bartsch/Arete/DEC)
A granhas revealed how she was saved from the devastating twin earthquakes in Venezuela after a neighbour in her block of flats knocked on her door, asking for coffee. And tragically, while she survived, on the other side of La Guaira, one of the worst hit areas of the South American country, her daughter and granddaughter are still missing.
Yajaira, 64, is now staying in a temporary shelter in a park with her husband, son and daughter-in-law and two dogs, Tiburcio and Pirulina. She revealed her story as it was announced that, yet again, the UK public, as well as companies, sports bodies and community groups, have risen to the challenge in a crisis.
Members of Blue Sky Rescue Team from China with Venezuelan firefighters. (Image: China News Service via Getty Images)
A whopping £10 million has been raised in well under a week through the Disasters Emergency Committee Appeal to help Yajaira and millions like her.
Cash is being used on the ground by DEC charities such as Save the Children and Oxfam, directly and through trusted partners, to provide medicines, water, hot meals, and emergency shelter.
The Appeal has been fronted on the BBC by actor Adjoa Andoh MBE – whose film was shown before the England World Cup match against DR Congo- and by writer and presenter Sir Michael Palin on commercial radio.
It’s also been supported on social media by Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt, model David Gandy, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and actress Joely Richardson.
And actor Amanda Redman, writing exclusively for the Express as a supporter of the DEC charity, the British Red Cross, urged Brits to carry on giving if they can, given the terrible devastation.
So far, 96,000 buildings are believed to be damaged or destroyed, more than 2,500 people killed, and more than 12,400 people injured after the quakes struck on June 24.
Yajaira said she invited the young couple from the fourth-floor flat above hers and told them to sit down while she went into the kitchen to make the drink.
“While I was making coffee, the neighbour’s wife said, “It’s shaking.” If I’d stayed in my room I would have been bricked in there. I stood there paralysed in the living room. I clutched a column, and my husband came in behind me.
“I didn’t move at all. I saw everything – I saw the buildings as they came crashing down on top of where I believe my granddaughter was trapped. I saw it clearly as they collapsed, with one tower from the back and the other from the front, both crashing into the other. How I got out of there alive, I don’t know.”
As well as her missing relatives, her niece has been confirmed dead. They buried her last week. She said, “It was awful, absolutely awful. I’ve lost her; she [my granddaughter] was everything.”
She left with no possessions and has no clothes. “I don’t have any, that’s what I need right now.
“I’ve swallowed so much dust, look at the state I’m in. I’ve lost everything, everything I had is gone. But I saved my life.”
The La Guaira area is isolated between the mountain and the sea, making it very challenging to reach the population, which includes many older people living alone, according to Dunia de Barnola, Venezuela Country Director for DEC charity Action Against Hunger.
She said: “It’s a beach area with no functional toilets, no safe place to wash, and very limited access to drinking water. Caracas is a very small city, so everything is happening beside you. We are surrounded by death.”
In communities across the UK, fundraising drives large and small have kept the cash flowing in.
Money raised has been sent directly to those affected, with the process overseen by on-the-ground experts with intimate knowledge of where it is needed most.
Writer, actor and presenter Sir Michael Palin knows the country well and said the devastation was horrific.
He said: “I visited Venezuela last year and saw a beautiful country full of warm and resilient people. But even before these earthquakes, many families were struggling, and today millions of people are in need of humanitarian support. Parents and children are sleeping on the streets, and hospitals are overwhelmed.
“Thousands of people desperately need medical care. People are digging through rubble to find their families, and my heart goes out to everyone who is still searching for their loved ones.
“I’ve worked with the DEC in the past, and I know the incredible difference that your donation can make. DEC charities are already on the ground providing clean water, food and emergency medical treatment, as well as assisting in search and rescue efforts. By supporting this appeal, you will ensure help reaches survivors.”
The DEC is a coalition of 15 leading charities, including Save the Children and the British Red Cross.
They come together when disasters occur overseas in countries that do not have the capacity to cope or raise funds quickly.
Saleh Saeed, the DEC’s chief executive, said: “Once again, the British public has shown extraordinary generosity – we are incredibly grateful. Thank you. But far more help is needed now.
“Every pound raised means more lives saved. Families have lost everything, and many are still without shelter, food, or clean water. We must act quickly to reach them.
“Just £10 could provide essential hygiene supplies to help prevent disease, £25 could feed a family for a week, and £50 could provide shelter for three families who have lost their homes.
“Please give whatever you can today.”
To donate, visit dec.org.uk
COMMENT: Amanda Redman, Ambassador for the British Red Cross
It’s been 12 days since two devastating earthquakes hit Venezuela, and people are still trying to make sense of the devastation left behind.
It takes me back to my visits to Nepal in 2015 and Turkey in 2024, six months after devastating earthquakes struck each country. The cameras had gone, but the need hadn’t.
On both trips, I saw firsthand the impact donations really have. In these desperate situations, support from Disasters Emergency Committee charities can mean the difference between life and death – providing food, water and shelter, as well as the practical and emotional support people need to recover and begin rebuilding their lives.
Donations ensure survivors are not left to face the aftermath of disasters alone.
What families in Venezuela are facing right now is heartbreaking. Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, more than 2,500 people have been killed, thousands more are injured and in urgent need of medical care.
I feel especially desperate for the children. At least 680,000 now need humanitarian support – their homes, schools and sense of safety shattered in under a minute.
Those who have been orphaned or separated from their families will be frightened beyond anything we can imagine.
The DEC has launched an emergency appeal to support people affected by the disaster.
Charities, including the British Red Cross, are on the ground working with local partners rooted in affected communities – providing everything from search and rescue and emergency medical treatment to shelter, hot meals and clean water.
The needs are vast and ongoing. But with your help, these charities can scale up and reach many more families.
Times are tough for many here at home, which makes the generosity of the UK public all the more remarkable so far.
If you are able to give, it could make all the difference.
Please help if you can.
