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A month of searching
One month after twin earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, more than 21,000 people remained displaced and living in temporary shelters while thousands of families continued searching for missing relatives beneath collapsed buildings.
“One month after earthquakes, Venezuelans still search for loved ones and answers The worst day in Victor Calderón's life – a month ago to the day – unfolded while he was at sea”
The death toll and injury figures varied by outlet and tally, with Latin Times citing more than 5,200 dead and nearly 17,000 injured, while France 24 reported 5.398 deaths and 16.740 injured in its latest balance.
The World Bank estimate cited by Latin Times put direct physical damage at $19.6 billion, and the same report said reconstruction costs could ultimately approach $50 billion.
In La Guaira, relatives kept returning to rubble as search-and-rescue operations officially ended weeks ago, and Reuters quoted José Méndez saying, "People are 50% very sensitive and 50% full of rage, lost."
Aid withdrawal, grief
As international search-and-rescue crews began to withdraw, CNN en Español described relatives in La Guaira returning daily to collapsed buildings where volunteers and family members moved tons of concrete with basic tools.
Maikol Morales told CNN en Español, "I've already pulled out my mom. Now I'm pulling out my dad, my sister, and my nephews," as he searched for family members in the same mountain of concrete and dust.
The BBC reported that Victor Calderón, a 49-year-old fisherman in Caraballeda, said, "I haven't cried for them yet, not until I find the last ones who are missing," after learning that 26 members of his family were gone.
The BBC also said the government had not released how many people were still missing, while its tally described more than 5,300 deaths and more than 16,500 injuries updated almost daily by the government.
What comes next
Humanitarian organizations warned that the disaster was shifting from rescue to long-term recovery, with Latin Times saying the real test was whether support continued after headlines faded.
“Almost a month after the double earthquake of magnitudes 7”
The Pan American Health Organization Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa warned that "the greatest health risks may stem not only from injuries" but also from disruptions to health services, overcrowded conditions, deficiencies in water and sanitation, and reduced access to vaccination and routine healthcare.
In parallel, the IFRC said recovery would be measured in years, and voz.us quoted spokesperson Scott Craig saying, "Recovery here will be measured in years, not weeks."
Venezuela’s recovery plans and funding needs were framed as urgent and ongoing, with voz.us reporting the IFRC launched an appeal to raise $60 million to assist some 300,000 people over the next two years while having secured only about 25% of the necessary funds.
