The grim statistics after the catastrophic double earthquake that hit the northern coast of Venezuela on June 24 continue to grow. The number of officially confirmed deaths has reached 5,398 people, making the seismic event the deadliest in the modern history of the South American nation.
The acting President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, issued an extraordinary statement in which she officially thanked the United Nations (UN) for the large-scale and timely support provided to the affected and displaced citizens.
UN humanitarian assistance in numbers
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating the deployment of international rescue teams and essential supplies. According to the organization's latest report:
- Funding: The UN has launched an additional appeal for $299 million to support 1.3 million affected residents over the next six months.
- Medical supplies: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) delivered over 27 tons of medicines and medical supplies.
- Food and shelter: Temporary camps have been provided for over 17,000 people left homeless in the hardest-hit regions of Caracas and La Guaira.
Chronology of the disaster
We remind you that the region was shaken by two consecutive earthquakes with a magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, which occurred within a span of just 39 seconds. The double seismic shock caused the collapse of hundreds of residential buildings and critical infrastructure, trapping thousands under the rubble.
Sources for the material: Data on casualties and the international response are based on official reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (see ReliefWeb at https://reliefweb.int), reports from the Pan American Health Organization (see PAHO at https://www.paho.org), and official government press conferences in Caracas, as reported by international agencies such as Reuters (see Reuters at https://www.reuters.com).