Venezuela earthquake toll hits 1,719; govt sets up shelters for displaced

More than 22,000 people are receiving treatment and nearly 16,000 have been displaced following the devastating earthquakes that struck on June 24

By Fabiola Zerpa

   

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 rose to 1,719, National Assembly head Jorge Rodríguez announced Monday. 

 

A total of 22,619 injured people are being treated in hospitals, field hospitals and triage points, and 15,866 people have lost their homes, Rodríguez said on state television. The government has set up 15 large shelters in La Guaira, the state hit the hardest by the natural disaster, and another 50 in the Caracas metropolitan area.

 

“Whenever we present these figures, we are not only deeply moved, but — from the bottom of our hearts, on behalf of all Venezuelan men and women — we extend our thanks to everyone,” he said. “We make no distinction regarding which country anyone comes from. All are our brothers and sisters.” 

 

 

Search-and-rescue operations continue with 3,319 foreign rescue workers, 45 international delegations, 140 rescue dogs, 49 support vehicles and more than 700,000 tons of humanitarian aid. Rodríguez said 75,238 families have received assistance and 7.2 tons of food have been distributed in La Guaira. 

 

International aid workers descended on the country in recent days, as Venezuela’s government has limited ability to contend with a disaster of this scale after years of sanctions and economic mismanagement. The government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez has been criticized over the limited information it has released about victims, survivors and rescue efforts, leaving many to turn to WhatsApp in an effort to find and identify missing persons. 

 

Gianluca Rampolla del Tindaro, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Venezuela, told reporters separately on Monday that crews were still focusing on search efforts and are still pulling out survivors from the rubble even though they have passed the 72-hour window. They are also focusing on emergency care and shelter.

 

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Venezuela at around 6 am local time on Monday, one among hundreds that have been further rattling nerves amid the rescue operation.

 

In a later address, Delcy Rodríguez said the government is in talks with international experts and organizations to address the housing situation, and is “offering both immediate and medium-term housing solutions.”

 

Teams of experts are deployed in La Guaira and Miranda states, and the greater Caracas area, to assess the habitability of homes affected. “Thousands of solutions are being planned for implementation before the year ends,” she said.

 

How Venezuela’s government responds to the crisis is the first major political test for Rodríguez, who has been traveling the country in recent months to shed baggage from the deeply unpopular regime of deposed strongman Nicolás Maduro. Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is pushing to return to the country as soon as possible to keep hold of momentum after leaving amid a wave of repression following 2024’s disputed election. Her return could reshape the political landscape in Venezuela in the aftermath of the quakes.