Venezuelan earthquake survivors seek foreign aid as relief center opens at golf course

Al Jazeera correspondent Teresa Bo reported from a golf course in the Venezuelan city of Maracaibo that has been converted into a temporary relief centre for residents displaced by recent flooding. The 18‑hole course, which lies on the outskirts of the city, now houses more than 1,200 families in makeshift shelters, with the Venezuelan Red Cross and local NGOs providing food, water, and medical assistance. Authorities say the flooding, caused by unprecedented rainfall in the past week, has affected over 10,000 people across the state of Zulia, prompting the government to repurpose public spaces such as the golf club to accommodate the surge of evacuees.

Officials from the Ministry of Social Development confirmed that the relief centre will remain operational until permanent housing can be arranged, and that additional resources, including generators and sanitation facilities, are being deployed to improve living conditions. International aid agencies have also begun coordinating with Venezuelan authorities to deliver supplies and assess longer‑term reconstruction needs. The transformation of the golf course underscores the scale of the humanitarian response required as communities work to recover from the flood’s impact.