On 24 June 2026, two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck the north-central region of Venezuela just 39 seconds apart, causing widespread destruction. A first assessment by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) estimates the direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure at approximately $37 billion. This includes about $24 billion in damage to buildings such as homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and public facilities, and $13 billion in infrastructure losses. Telecommunications suffered the heaviest infrastructure losses, estimated at around $5 billion, followed by energy generation and roads.
The Venezuelan Government reported a death toll exceeding 3,340 people, with over 16,740 injured and approximately 17,000 left homeless. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted that children are among the worst affected, estimating that 650,000 people, including 234,000 children, will require humanitarian assistance.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated from New York that the UN and its partners are continuing to scale up assistance in coordination with the Venezuelan Government. He emphasized the focus on supporting displaced people and addressing urgent humanitarian needs. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams remain active in the affected areas, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The damage estimate is based on risk modeling and does not yet include losses from disrupted services, economic activity, emergency response costs, supply chain effects, or reconstruction efforts.
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