Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 5,000

A devastating earthquake in Venezuela has left over 5,000 people dead, with the majority of the victims coming from coastal areas.

According to Jorge Rodriguez, the head of the National Assembly, 5,069 people have lost their lives in the disaster. The earthquake also left 16,740 people injured, although most of them have since been discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment.

The earthquake struck on June 24, with two powerful tremors of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude hitting the coastal state of La Guaira, north of the capital Caracas. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has made $346 million available for reconstruction efforts.

Interim President Delsy Rodriguez announced that the IMF had provided the funds, which will be used to address immediate humanitarian needs. The IMF’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, confirmed that the funds had been made available and that Venezuela would be able to use its own reserve funds to support the relief efforts.

The earthquake has left around 20,000 people homeless, with many living in temporary shelters that lack access to basic necessities like food, water, and sanitation. Venezuela has a special drawing right (SDR) of around $5.1 billion with the IMF, which had been frozen due to the disputed presidency of Nicolas Maduro.

Reconstruction Efforts

The IMF and the World Bank resumed cooperation with Venezuela in April, after Nicolas Maduro was ousted as president in January. Relations with these institutions had been suspended since 2019.