The Daily Journal — The Government of Venezuela and the United Nations (UN) launched a joint 60-day initiative on Wednesday to assess the damage and recovery needs caused by the twin earthquakes that struck on June 24. The disaster claimed thousands of lives, displaced thousands of people, and caused extensive material damage.
The initiative, called the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, aims to provide “a shared and objective understanding of the damage, losses, and recovery needs,” outgoing UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela Gianluca Rampolla said during a broadcast on state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV).
Rampolla explained that the Government of Venezuela will lead the process with technical support from the United Nations system, the European Union, and the World Bank. At the same time, strategic partners from multiple sectors will also take part.
Over the next two months, a multidisciplinary team will assess nine socioeconomic sectors across the regions hardest hit by the earthquakes. The evaluation will produce technical recommendations to guide recovery and reconstruction decisions.
The official said the work will begin Thursday with a meeting involving the groups responsible for the assessments. “The success of this process will depend on the commitment, collaboration, and continuous exchange among all participating institutions,” he said.
Social Affairs Vice President Héctor Rodríguez announced that authorities will later establish working groups to prepare a “detailed and realistic” report during the 60 days. The document will outline the general guidelines for rebuilding the affected areas.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez expressed confidence in the initiative and said she expects the plan to deliver “extraordinary results.” She also highlighted her administration’s ability to coordinate effectively with international organizations and the United Nations system.
The impact of the twin earthquakes
The June 24 twin earthquakes killed at least 5,546 people, injured 16,740 others, and left nearly 18,000 people homeless, according to the latest official figures released on July 24. The Venezuelan government has not updated those numbers since then.
The scale of the destruction has prompted international organizations to warn about the economic impact of reconstruction. Last week, the World Bank estimated direct physical damage at US$19.6 billion and warned that a slow reconstruction process could hinder Venezuela’s economic recovery over the next decade.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) recently reported that humanitarian efforts for earthquake victims face a significant funding shortfall. The updated UN and humanitarian organizations’ response plan has secured only 39% of the required funding.
The organization warned that up to 1.3 million people in the affected areas now require humanitarian assistance, an increase of more than 700,000 people compared with the needs that existed before the earthquakes.
In response, authorities revised the Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela to include earthquake-related operations, increasing its financial requirements by nearly 50%. The updated strategy aims to assist 6.2 million people during the first six months of the response, although it currently has only slightly more than one-third of the funding it requires.
