Close to seven million people may have been impacted by the twin earthquakes in Venezuela, which have killed more than 1,000 people and left tens of thousands missing, the United Nations estimated on Saturday.
The UN migration agency said it had examined available population and damage data and had determined that “up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24th June”.
Death toll reached 1,430
The death toll reached 1,430 on Saturday, and millions more were feared to lack sanitation and other basic needs, as the first US aid flights landed in Caracas.
The search for survivors saw desperate attempts by local residents to claw away rubble from apartment buildings that collapsed in Wednesday’s two quakes. Experts say the first 72 hours after natural disasters are the key, narrow window for finding the living.
More than 50,000 people missing
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher told AFP Friday that more than 50,000 people were missing.
IOM said it had worked with Microsoft AI for Good Lab on initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5 per cent of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had been damaged.
“The first hours and days after a disaster are decisive. They shape everything that follows,” IOM Chief Amy Pope said in the statement.
“IOM is scaling up rapidly: prepositioned relief items are already being deployed, and we are working with the Government and partners to deliver emergency shelter, essential supplies, and protection,” she added.
The United States said one runway at Simon Bolivar International Airport was partially functioning to receive C-17 US military planes, while a naval ship had arrived off the coast.
Warning that displacement was sure to rise in the country, which was already facing a humanitarian crisis before the quakes hit, Pope stressed that “a swift response is essential as we deliver life-saving assistance and support the people of Venezuela through the difficult days and months ahead.”
The UN migration agency stressed that needs were “immediate and significant”, with families who have lost everything requiring everything from emergency shelter, safe water and sanitation services to health care and protection support.
What do you think about this?
Drop your opinion in the comment section.
Share this with someone who needs to see this.