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International Rescue Saves Guard Amid Venezuela Tragedy, $50 M Food Appeal

7/3/2026

26 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Rescue teams from seven countries spent three days digging a tunnel and freed 43-year-old guard Hernán Gil in La Guaira, confirming he survived.
The disaster has killed nearly 2,300, left about 13,000 homeless and tens of thousands missing, overwhelming shelters.
Humanitarian agencies warn a health crisis because clinics lack supplies and the World Food Programme seeks $50 million to feed 500,000 people.

History

Historical Context

On 12 January 2010 a magnitude-7.0 quake struck near Léogâne, killing an estimated 220,000 Haitians and leaving about three million people affected. Haiti’s chronic poverty, rooted in historic debt and foreign interventions, hampered building standards, amplifying the disaster’s impact. The United Nations and the United States led the initial response, coordinating billions of dollars in aid.

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Story summary

Rescue teams from seven countries spent three days digging a tunnel and freed 43-year-old guard Hernán Gil in La Guaira, confirming he survived.
The disaster has killed nearly 2,300, left about 13,000 homeless and tens of thousands missing, overwhelming shelters.
Humanitarian agencies warn a health crisis because clinics lack supplies and the World Food Programme seeks $50 million to feed 500,000 people.

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