🔍 How to search for a missing person

First: report that you are safe

If you are in the affected area and you are safe, say so as soon as possible. A single WhatsApp message to one relative who spreads the word reduces call volume and frees networks for real emergencies.

• •Use SMS or WhatsApp instead of calls: they use less network capacity and often get through when calls fail.
• •Post your status on social media if you have a connection ("I am safe, I am in...").
• •Use Facebook Safety Check if it is enabled for the event.

International search tools

• •Restoring Family Links (Red Cross / ICRC): familylinks.icrc.org — the international Red Cross system for reconnecting families separated by disasters. It works through the Venezuelan Red Cross and each country’s national society.
• •Google Person Finder: activated for major disasters at google.org/personfinder — lets you register the person you are looking for and report information about people who have been located.

Official channels in Venezuela

• •Civil Protection (169 / 0212-635-1000): keeps the registry of evacuated people and active shelters.
• •CICPC (171): for formal missing-person reports.
• •Hospitals in the area: ask for admission lists; bring the person’s full name and ID number (cédula).

Information to prepare

• •Full name and ID number (cédula) of the person.
• •Last known location and time of last contact.
• •Recent photo and physical description (height, clothing).
• •Relevant medical conditions (diabetes, medications they need).

Beware of misinformation

After a disaster, false lists of victims and rescued people circulate. Do not spread lists that do not come from Civil Protection, hospitals, or the Red Cross, and verify any information before sharing it with the family.