Venezuela earthquake: death toll rises above 5,000 as IMF releases $346 million
Three weeks after the severe earthquakes in Venezuela, the death toll has risen to more than 5,000, with over 16,700 injured. Tens of thousands are housed in emergency camps, and supplies are running low in some areas. The IMF has made $346 million available for reconstruction.
The two quakes at the end of June are among the most severe in the country's history; the consequences are, according to the authorities, devastating, with countless buildings destroyed. Serbia's B92, citing Venezuelan officials, gives a figure of 5,069 dead and more than 20,000 people in makeshift camps, while the FAZ and Deutschlandfunk confirm the mark of more than 5,000 dead and 16,700 injured. AFP describes, from a village on the edge of the quake zone, how supplies are running out. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez said the IMF funds were meant to help affected families with housing, infrastructure and public services. Because the reporting relies heavily on official Venezuelan figures and independent verification is difficult, the exact numbers should be treated with caution.