Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appealed for victims of devastating earthquakes in Venezuela earlier this week, promising prayers for all those affected by the temblors in the South American nation and calling for international solidarity in response to the disaster.

“We assure our prayers for the victims, for their families, and for all those suffering the consequences of this tragedy,” the pope said.

Leo made his remarks during the close of of a two-day consistory in the Vatican, the second such gathering of the college of cardinals he has called during his not-quite-fourteen-month pontificate.

“We also entrust to the Lord all those involved in rescue operations,” the pope also said, “and we ask that the solidarity of the international community toward that beloved nation may not falter.”

Church organizations have been in the forefront of rescue, recovery, and ongoing relief efforts, ever since two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday, causing devastation especially in the cities and towns of La Guaira state.

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The pope’s appeal came as the death toll from the quakes climbed to 1,430 and rescue teams continued their race against time to locate and reach survivors.

Frequent aftershocks and a dearth of adequate machinery were complicating efforts through Saturday, though a U.S. official reported that one of the runways at Caracas international airport is operational, a development responders hope will speed the delivery and flow of aid supplies already reaching the country from around the world.

Even before the papal appeal, the United States and several other nations and international organizations had dispatched search-and-rescue teams, logistical support, and other assistance to the stricken nation.

The U.S. has also announced plans to send another major aid package, reportedly in the nine-figure range, on top of an initial package announced in the hours immediately following the Wednesday earthquakes worth $150 million, while U.S. Southern Command has said additional military assets are being allocated to the humanitarian mission.