Venezuela quake toll climbs to 4,333 as govt steps up relief, rebuilding efforts

Venezuela continues to grapple with the devastating aftermath of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24, with the death toll climbing to 4,333, National Assembly president Jorge Rodriguez announced on Saturday.

Addressing the nation, Rodriguez said 16,740 people had been injured in the disaster, while rescue teams had pulled 6,462 survivors from the rubble. Authorities have also established 94 temporary camps, now providing shelter to more than 18,000 people displaced by the twin quakes.

As emergency operations gradually transition into long-term recovery, Rodriguez said nearly 30,000 volunteers have come forward to support relief efforts. The government plans to involve them not only in humanitarian assistance but also in rebuilding damaged communities by helping construct new homes and repair those that can still be salvaged.

To streamline rehabilitation efforts, the government has launched a Unified Housing Registry, which will function as both a nationwide census of affected families and a database for distributing state financial assistance. Officials say the registry will help prioritise housing support for thousands left homeless by the disaster.

Rodriguez stressed the urgency of providing permanent housing for families who lost their homes entirely, while ensuring that partially damaged properties are repaired without delay. As an interim measure, the government plans to establish camps equipped with single-family transitional housing units, offering displaced residents a safer place to live until permanent homes are completed.

In a broader effort to support survivors, the National Assembly is also preparing to reform Venezuela's rental laws and introduce a new credit and subsidy programme aimed at helping quake-affected families purchase homes and rebuild their lives.

Rodriguez further renewed calls for the release of Venezuelan state assets frozen overseas under economic sanctions imposed by the United States and several other countries. He said acting president Delcy Rodriguez has written to multiple governments, urging them to unlock the funds so they can be used for humanitarian relief and post-earthquake reconstruction.

Earlier, acting president Delcy Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the international community's response to the disaster, saying 28 countries had extended humanitarian assistance to Venezuela. Speaking after inspecting a relief collection centre in Caracas, where more than 2,000 tonnes of international aid are being sorted for distribution, she described the global support as a powerful gesture of solidarity.

"Venezuela never tires of thanking the countries, the peoples of the world, and the governments of the world that have offered a helping hand," she said, adding that donor nations would be able to track how their contributions are being used to assist survivors sheltering in temporary camps.

She said the overwhelming international response had reassured Venezuelans that they were not facing the tragedy alone.

"The most important thing is to look to the future — how we are going to recover and how we are going to rebuild the affected areas," Rodriguez said, underscoring the government's commitment to reconstruction as the nation begins the long journey from rescue to recovery.

With IANS inputs