Venezuela quake death toll tops 5,000 as IMF releases emergency aid - Al Jazeera

Venezuela's death toll from twin earthquakes that struck its Caribbean coast on June 24 has surpassed 5,000, with National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez confirming 5,119 dead as of July 18, 2026.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes hit within a minute of each other and devastated the coastal state of La Guaira north of Caracas, where hundreds of apartment towers partially or fully collapsed.
Beyond the fatalities, 16,740 people were injured—though most have since been discharged—and roughly 20,000 remain displaced, many in overcrowded shelters lacking clean water and sanitation.
Authorities have recorded more than 1,300 aftershocks since the disaster, and the death toll has kept rising as rescue crews clear rubble and reach areas that were inaccessible in the immediate aftermath.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced Venezuela secured $346m in emergency financing from the IMF, with Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirming the funds were released from the country's reserve tranche for urgent humanitarian needs.
The financing follows the April restoration of IMF and World Bank ties with Venezuela after the US removed former President Nicolas Maduro from power in January; relations had been suspended since 2019, and public anger over the government's slow disaster response continues to grow.