Adedokun Waliyu 
The United Nations has launched an urgent appeal for $296 million to support relief efforts in Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that have claimed more than 3,800 lives and displaced thousands of people.
Speaking at a UN meeting on Wednesday, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said the funds would provide life-saving assistance to 1.3 million people over the next six months.
The appeal comes amid one of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters, with thousands still missing and many families continuing to search through the rubble for loved ones in the severely affected state of La Guaira.
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, urged countries holding frozen Venezuelan assets to release them to support the country’s recovery efforts.
He said funds belonging to the Venezuelan government remain frozen in several countries due to international sanctions and appealed for their release to help rebuild communities affected by the disaster.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez also announced that she had written to King Charles III, requesting the release of approximately 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold held at the Bank of England under UK sanctions.
According to Rodríguez, the gold belongs to the Venezuelan people and is urgently needed to finance recovery and humanitarian operations following the earthquakes.
The United States has already eased several economic sanctions on Venezuela for four months to facilitate humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts. Relations between Washington and Caracas have improved since the change in Venezuela’s leadership earlier this year.
The United Nations estimates that the earthquakes caused approximately $6.7 billion in damage, equivalent to about six per cent of Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The international airport serving Caracas also sustained significant damage and remains closed to commercial flights.
Two weeks after the powerful 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, international search-and-rescue teams have largely ended survivor search operations, shifting their focus to the recovery of bodies.
The Venezuelan government said the disaster has now claimed 3,811 lives, while nearly 17,000 people have been injured and about 18,000 residents have been left homeless after numerous residential buildings collapsed.
In the devastated communities of La Guaira, many families continue to depend on donations of food, water and essential supplies while holding onto hope of recovering missing relatives.
Heavy machinery continues clearing the debris from collapsed buildings as rescue workers and grieving families search for victims, with recovery operations expected to continue for several more days.
