Two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela's north-central region on 24 June, occurring just 39 seconds apart. The Government reported that the disaster resulted in more than 3,340 deaths, over 16,740 injuries, and approximately 17,000 people left homeless.
A first assessment by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) estimates the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at around $37 billion. This includes about $24 billion in damage to buildings such as homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public facilities, and an additional $13 billion in infrastructure damage. Telecommunications suffered the heaviest losses within infrastructure, estimated at $5 billion, followed by energy generation and roads. The estimate is based on risk modeling and does not include losses from disrupted services, economic activity, emergency response costs, supply chain effects, or reconstruction.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that children are among those worst affected, estimating that 650,000 people, including 234,000 children, will require humanitarian assistance.
Search and rescue teams remain active in the affected areas, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated in New York that the UN and its partners are continuing to scale up assistance in coordination with the Venezuelan Government, focusing on supporting displaced people and addressing urgent humanitarian needs.
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