The number of fatalities resulting from the dual earthquakes in Venezuela has climbed to 3,535, as per official reports unveiled on Monday. Furthermore, almost 18,000 individuals are displaced, more than a week post the calamity that impacted the capital city and adjacent coastal regions.
Jorge Rodriguez, a prominent lawmaker, disclosed that the most recent official count indicates 16,740 individuals have sustained injuries, with 17,854 people left homeless post the tremors of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred within moments of each other on June 24.
The updated statistics highlight the extent of the catastrophe in and around Caracas and La Guaira, the coastal area that endured the most significant impact, amid escalating criticism concerning the government’s reaction.
The social vice-presidency of Venezuela noted that approximately 12,800 individuals are housed in 80 shelters dispersed across Caracas and La Guaira.
Dr. Mauricio Cerpa Calderon, an advisor at the Emergency Operations Center of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) located in Washington, cautioned about the escalating health hazards within these temporary accommodations. He emphasized that these risks are tied to issues like overcrowding, poor ventilation, limited access to safe drinking water, sanitation challenges, and inefficient handling of food and waste.
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Cerpa emphasized that immediate concerns involve tackling “respiratory infections, diarrhea, skin diseases, wound infections, dengue, and vaccine-preventable diseases such as tetanus, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis and polio.”
Acting president Delcy Rodriguez has stood by the government’s response to the crisis, despite mounting discontent among Venezuelans who have criticized the delayed and insufficient measures. Various global humanitarian organizations, including the International Rescue Committee, have also voiced disapproval of the government’s handling of the situation.
Rodriguez mentioned that security forces were promptly dispatched post the earthquakes and announced the establishment of a fresh military unit aimed at enhancing preparedness for future emergencies and disasters.
John Barrett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Caracas
