The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has climbed to 5,119, with 16,740 people injured. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez provided these figures on Saturday, also stating that 128,324 families have received assistance. Approximately 21,470 people are currently housed in 107 temporary camps, while 18,000 remain without permanent housing. The earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, damaged 856 buildings, causing 190 to collapse, and led to 1,350 aftershocks.
Most of the fatalities occurred in the coastal state of La Guaira, which experienced the most severe destruction. The recovery efforts are ongoing, with crews clearing rubble and accessing previously unreachable areas. Simultaneously, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $346 million in emergency financing for Venezuela, as announced by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez. This aid, released from Venezuela's reserve tranche, is intended to address urgent humanitarian needs.
The IMF and World Bank had re-established relations with Venezuela in April, following the removal of former President Nicolas Maduro from power earlier in January, after suspending ties in 2019. Public discontent has grown regarding the government's response, with accusations of slow action and disorganized rescue efforts. An investigation by Reuters indicated that initial rescue operations were hampered by delayed military deployment, a lack of basic equipment, and confused chains of command, contradicting official claims of a swift response from Jorge Rodriguez.
