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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimated this Saturday that the direct damages caused by the two earthquakes that shook Venezuela last Wednesday amount to 6.7 billion dollars, according to a preliminary assessment published by the EFE agency based on the Rapid Digital Analysis (RAPIDA) of the organization.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, occurred on June 24 with just 39 seconds apart and are considered the strongest recorded in the country since 1900.
The estimate from UNDP —which ranges between 4.7 billion and 8.7 billion dollars— was obtained using seismic models, satellite imagery, and population data processed in the hours following the earthquakes.
The figure represents approximately 6% of Venezuela's GDP and only encompasses direct physical damage to homes, vehicles, buildings, and businesses, without accounting for impacts on infrastructure, broader economic disruptions, or long-term reconstruction costs.
The organization itself warns that the total impact is usually estimated to be between 1.5 and three times the value of direct damages, which would place the actual cost between 10.050 and 20.100 million dollars.
The UNDP estimates that 1.7 million structures were located in the affected areas, which include the capital, Caracas, and the states of La Guaira, Carabobo, Miranda, Yaracuy, and Aragua.
The agency's data also indicates potential interruptions in the electricity supply in parts of Carabobo, La Guaira, Caracas, and Aragua.
"The speed and accuracy of initial assessments are essential for an effective response," noted Luis Francisco Thais, resident representative of the UNDP in Venezuela.
Thais added that "each crisis represents an opportunity to rethink development strategies by placing resilience at the center," so that recovery not only restores what was lost but also builds "a more sustainable future."
Regarding the human toll, the president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, reported this Saturday that the earthquakes have resulted in 1,430 fatalities and 3,238 injuries, in addition to 3,142 affected families.
“At this time (…) we are counting that 1,430 brothers and sisters have passed away; unfortunately, they have lost their lives,” Rodríguez stated in a speech broadcast by the state channel VTV.
The most devastated area is the coastal state of La Guaira, where 250 buildings collapsed and the Maiquetía International Airport remained closed.
The UN, for its part, reports figures indicating that there are more than 50,000 missing since the earthquakes, while a total of about 6.76 million people have been affected.
The resident coordinator of the United Nations System in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla, reported that the organization has set up three field hospitals in La Guaira to care for the injured on site, without the need to transfer them to healthcare facilities in Caracas.
Rampolla described the situation in La Guaira as serious and warned that there are still many buildings to reach in order to verify if there are any people trapped and alive.
A plane has also arrived with 20 tons of humanitarian aid, including supplies for water purification, and more than 16 countries have deployed over 1,600 rescuers and 100 tracking dogs in the country.
Before the earthquakes, Venezuela was already experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis: eight million people were in need of assistance, according to the UN, which further exacerbates the scale of the catastrophe.
The UNDP warned that the impact assessment will continue to evolve as more information becomes available on the ground.
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