Venezuela earthquake death toll tops 5,000 as relief efforts continue

The twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on 24 June, with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 and only 39 seconds apart, have killed 5,069 people, according to a Telegram update from National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez. He said, "5,069 people died in consequence of the tremors." The official figures list 16,740 injured and 17,907 people left homeless, while 21,235 are housed in 107 temporary camps.

The worst damage is in the coastal state of La Guaira, where at least 190 buildings collapsed and many schools and hospitals were damaged. The United Nations Development Programme estimates material losses at $6.7 billion (about 6 % of Venezuela’s GDP) and warns that up to 50,000 people may be missing.

International assistance is flowing from more than two dozen countries, with the United States contributing $386 million of the $780 million pledged. The UN has deployed over 2,200 rescue workers, 521 tons of supplies and three field hospitals. Brazil, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom have also sent teams and relief materiel.

The Venezuelan government’s response has drawn criticism for being slow and opaque. In the legislature, a reform to the Anti‑Real‑Estate‑Fraud Law was approved in first reading to speed up the construction of new housing for the displaced. The disaster has also generated more than two million tonnes of debris; the government and UNDP estimate that 1.53 million tonnes are construction material and 577 000 tonnes are personal goods, prompting a large‑scale cleanup and waste‑segregation effort.