A leading medical expert in Venezuela has called on the United States to completely lift its sanctions to help alleviate the severe humanitarian and public health crisis exacerbated by the country's recent twin earthquakes.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Huniades Urbina, former president of Venezuela's National Academy of Medicine, said the healthcare system was already crippled by shortages before the quakes, and now half of hospital beds are unusable.
He warned that more than 16,000 injured patients from the twin earthquakes have overwhelmed hospitals, which face a critical shortage of equipment to treat severe injuries such as hip fractures and traumatic brain trauma.
"We couldn't even fully meet the medical needs of our regular patients, and now we are facing this earthquake. We have over 16,000 injured people distributed across different hospitals, all of which has pushed the medical system far beyond its limits. Therefore, we are asking the United States to consider completely lifting sanctions so that more medical supplies can enter Venezuela, whether through donations or direct purchases," he said.
For more than a decade, Venezuela has been subject to unilateral U.S. sanctions that have constrained its economic development and weakened its capacity to respond to crises such as the recent twin earthquakes. While Washington has granted temporary exemptions for earthquake relief, years of restricted access to resources have deeply disrupted the country’s industrial base and left its healthcare system chronically short of supplies.
The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 3,811, according to National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Venezuela medical expert appeals for lifting U.S. sanctions amid quake crisis
