Venezuela quake death toll over 5,000, IMF releases $346 million

On 24 June twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck the north‑coastal state of La Guaira in Venezuela. Officials have confirmed 5 069 fatalities and 16 740 injuries, with roughly 20 000 people now living in improvised camps. UN agencies estimate that up to 50 000 persons may be missing. Technical assessments put direct physical damage at about $24 billion to buildings and $13 billion to infrastructure – nearly $40 billion in total. The International Monetary Fund unlocked $346 million from Venezuela’s reserve tranche to fund emergency housing, reconstruction of infrastructure and essential public services. The IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva confirmed the release on social media. International aid, including UNDP and humanitarian NGOs, is being dispatched, while the main international airport (Maiquetía Simon Bolívar) remains closed due to damage. The government has urged people to avoid private vehicles in the hardest‑hit La Guaira area and to deliver aid only to designated collection points.