The death toll from the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,561, as rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble over the past 24 hours.
Lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said, “The death toll has reached at least 4,561, with over 18,000 injured and 17,907 displaced.”
He said more than 30,000 volunteers had signed up to help victims during the critical phase of the disaster and that the government is seeking to use their services in the construction and repair of homes destroyed in the tragedy.
Authorities have assisted 128,324 families and established 107 temporary camps housing 20,231 people, while 17,907 remain without permanent housing.
The earthquakes damaged 856 buildings, including 190 that collapsed, said Rodriguez.
According to the US Geological Survey, two earthquakes registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 struck the South American nation on June 24.
The government also plans to set up camps with single-family transitional housing “while permanent homes are being built,” Rodriguez said.
The United Nations launched an appeal for roughly $300 million to assist 1.3 million people in urgent need of aid in Venezuela.
The organisation has requested the immediate release of the pending $15 million to repair the country’s essential infrastructure, including damaged hospitals, and to maintain basic sanitation in camps for the displaced to prevent a health emergency.
On Friday, a 3.0 magnitude tremor in central Caracas caused momentary panic and led to buildings being evacuated.
Also read: Venezuela death toll climbs to 4,500
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