UN launches $296 million appeal for Venezuela quake relief

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Geneva: The United Nations has issued an urgent plea for over $300 million to help with relief operations in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country last month, as the dead toll rises and humanitarian needs continue to grow.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher announced that it is seeking $296 million to give life-saving assistance to 1.3 million people over the next six months. The funds will be used to provide emergency shelter, food, clean water, healthcare, sanitation, and protection services to people affected.

The twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 killed more than 3,800 people, injured over 16,000, displaced almost 18,000, and left others missing. The most devastated coastal state, La Guaira, has suffered massive devastation, with many families still searching amid rubble for lost relatives.

The United Nations cautioned that the tragedy has resulted in one of Latin America's biggest humanitarian disasters in recent years, with survivors suffering serious shortages of clean water, sanitation, medical care, and temporary shelter. International donors have begun to contribute, but UN officials underscored that much more funding is required to keep the crisis from getting worse.