Venezuela earthquake toll rises to 4,930 as missing remain uncounted
A UN estimate says as many as 50,000 people may still be missing after two June earthquakes, with thousands injured or in shelters.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Venezuela’s confirmed earthquake death toll has climbed to 4,930, Reuters reported, as officials and aid groups continue to assess the scale of destruction from two June quakes. The United Nations estimates that as many as 50,000 people may still be missing, with many feared trapped beneath collapsed buildings, according to Reuters.
Lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez announced the updated death toll on Thursday, Reuters reported. The earthquakes struck nearly a month earlier and affected tens of thousands of people across the country.
Reuters reported that nearly 17,000 people have been injured. Another 21,120 people are staying in shelters after losing access to their homes or being displaced by the disaster.
Venezuelan rescue and response teams have been working since the quakes hit, Reuters reported. Some residents, however, told Al Jazeera that official help has been slow to arrive.
Cinthia Pulido, who was displaced by the earthquakes, told Al Jazeera that civilians and independent volunteers responded first. “The state’s response is only being seen now,” she said, adding that displaced people were still waiting for answers.
International rescue teams that arrived shortly after the earthquakes have since departed, Reuters reported. The relief effort has shifted from search operations toward humanitarian support for survivors.
Louismarez Paez, another displaced Venezuelan, told Al Jazeera that the limited support she can secure goes toward keeping herself, her children and her mother alive. Paez said her mother receives no assistance beyond what Paez can provide.
Sanctions debate grows around recovery
Reuters reported that Venezuela has been under strict US sanctions since 2015, and some experts say those restrictions are complicating the government’s disaster response. Mark Weisbrot, senior economist and co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, said Venezuela cannot access resources it needs.
Weisbrot said $11bn blocked by the United States and European countries is money Venezuela should legally have, according to Reuters. His comments come as the cost of recovery is expected to stretch far beyond the government’s immediate capacity.
The United Nations estimates Venezuela’s recovery from the earthquakes could cost $37bn, Reuters reported. That estimate covers the broader rebuilding effort as officials and humanitarian groups continue to deal with casualties, displacement and damaged infrastructure.
A group of 14 Democratic lawmakers in the United States urged the White House this week to ease economic sanctions on Venezuela to support recovery work, according to a report by Spain’s El Pais cited by Reuters. The lawmakers wrote that sanctions were severely obstructing emergency relief and had weakened response and reconstruction efforts.
The latest death toll underscores the gap between confirmed casualties and the much larger number of people still missing. With rescue teams gone and shelters still housing more than 21,000 people, Venezuela’s response is now centered on relief, recovery and the search for people whose fate remains unknown, according to Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.