Caracas .- The Government of Venezuela and the United Nations (UN) launched a joint 60-day plan this Wednesday to assess recovery needs following the double earthquake on June 24 in the country, which left significant material damage and thousands of people affected.
The plan, called ‘Post-Disaster Needs Assessment’, will offer “a common and objective view of the damages, losses, and recovery needs,” said the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, in a broadcast on the state channel Venezolana de Televisión.
Likewise, he specified that the plan is being developed “under the leadership of the Government of Venezuela with the technical accompaniment of the United Nations system, the European Union and the World Bank, and with the participation of strategic partners from various areas”.
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60 days of joint work
He explained that over the next 60 days, a multidisciplinary team will work together to evaluate nine socioeconomic sectors within the most affected regions in Venezuela to “formulate technical recommendations that serve as a basis for recovery decisions.”
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The work begins this Thursday with the meeting between different working groups to carry out the evaluations, noted Rampolla, who stressed that “the success of this process will depend on the commitment, collaboration, and permanent exchange between all participating institutions.”
At his side, the Minister of Education, Héctor Rodríguez, reported that after this meeting, working groups will be established and, over the course of 60 days, a “detailed and realistic” report will be prepared regarding the general guidelines for the reconstruction of the affected areas.
The current landscape of the country
In this regard, Delcy Rodríguez predicted “extraordinary fruits” from this plan and expressed confidence in her Government’s ability to “establish very effective coordination mechanisms with international organizations and the United Nations system.”
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The double earthquake has left at least 5,546 dead, 16,740 injured, and nearly 18,000 people homeless, according to the latest official report published on July 24. Since then, the Government has not updated the figures.
In addition, about 856 buildings were affected and 190 collapsed, according to the same official data.
The World Bank estimated last Thursday at 19.6 billion dollars the direct physical damage caused by the earthquakes that shook Venezuela and warned that a slow reconstruction could hinder the country’s economic recovery over the next decade.
