Venezuela has established an earthquake recovery fund
Venezuela is establishing a special $200 million fund to rebuild regions devastated by powerful earthquakes. The disaster claimed thousands of lives, and thousands more are still missing. The country is trying to quickly launch reconstruction efforts amid a massive humanitarian crisis.
Venezuela has announced the creation of a $200 million fund to be used for the reconstruction of areas devastated by two powerful earthquakes in late June, which were among the most devastating natural disasters the country has experienced in recent years. According to official data, the disaster caused massive destruction: at least hundreds of buildings were reduced to rubble, hundreds more sustained serious damage, and hospitals, bridges, and road infrastructure were affected, effectively paralyzing parts of the regions and hindering rescue workers’ access to remote areas.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the death toll exceeds 2,000, with thousands injured and thousands more still missing, making this one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the region in recent times. Acting President Delsi Rodríguez stated that part of the funds will be channeled through international financial instruments and special accounts for donor aid to accelerate the reconstruction of housing, infrastructure, and basic social facilities.
Following the earthquakes, which measured 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, hundreds of aftershocks were recorded, and although their intensity is gradually decreasing, experts do not rule out the possibility of new tremors, forcing authorities to maintain a state of heightened readiness. The government also reports large-scale rescue operations involving the military and volunteers, while rejecting accusations of an ineffective response and emphasizing the complexity of the situation due to the scale of the destruction and the instability following the main tremors. This is reported by dpa.
