Venezuela quake death toll exceeds 5,000 as IMF releases funds

The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last month have killed more than 5,000 people, officials said. The government also announced it had drawn hundreds of millions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for reconstruction.

The funds mark Venezuela's first major access to IMF resources in years.

How many people died in the Venezuela earthquake?

The earthquakes killed 5,069 people, National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez said in a post on Telegram. Most casualties occurred in the coastal region of La Guaira, north of Caracas.

The number of injured remains unchanged at 16,740, with most already discharged from hospital, Rodriguez said.

When did the Venezuela earthquakes happen?

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes struck within a minute of each other on June 24. They devastated the coastal state of La Guaira, located just north of the capital, Caracas.

The back-to-back tremors caused widespread destruction across the region.

How much money has the IMF given Venezuela?

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez said on Friday that the country had tapped $346 million from the IMF for earthquake reconstruction. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed the release, saying the institution worked with Venezuelan counterparts to help the country access its own resources at the Fund for urgent humanitarian needs. The funds were drawn from Venezuela's reserve tranche, she said.

Venezuela holds 3.568 billion Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) at the Fund, equivalent to roughly $5.1 billion. These reserves were previously blocked because the IMF did not recognize Nicolas Maduro as president. The IMF and World Bank announced in April that they were resuming relations with Venezuela, after the United States overthrew Maduro in a military incursion in January. Relations with both institutions had been frozen since 2019.

How many people were left homeless by the earthquakes?

Around 20,000 people made homeless by the quakes are now living in overcrowded camps. Many of these camps lack water supplies and proper sanitation systems.

The scale of displacement has added pressure on reconstruction efforts backed by the new IMF funding.