UN seeks 10,000 body bags for Venezuela after twin earthquakes

The United Nations says it is procuring 10,000 body bags for Venezuela after twin earthquakes caused widespread destruction. The move signals concern that the number of dead is higher than the toll reported so far, according to the UN.

Al Jazeera reported on June 30 that tens of thousands of people remain unaccounted for, injured or displaced after the earthquakes. The report said thousands of buildings have been destroyed.

The UN warning points to a disaster whose full scale has not yet been established. With many people still missing or without shelter, authorities and aid workers face the immediate tasks of accounting for victims, treating the injured and responding to displacement.

No updated death toll was given in the report. The UN said the figure is expected to rise from the number already reported, and its procurement of body bags reflects preparations for that outcome.

The earthquakes were described by Al Jazeera as devastating twin events. The report did not provide further details on their magnitude, epicentres or the areas of Venezuela worst affected.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.