One month after twin earthquakes devastated northern Venezuela, more than 21,000 people remain displaced and living in temporary shelters, thousands of families are still waiting to recover the bodies of missing relatives from beneath collapsed buildings, and humanitarian organizations warn the disaster is evolving into a long-term recovery crisis that could take years to overcome.
More than 5,200 people have died, nearly 17,000 have been injured, and the World Bank estimates the disaster caused $19.6 billion in direct physical damage, making it one of the most destructive natural catastrophes in the country's modern history. Entire neighborhoods remain in ruins, while schools, hospitals, roads, and businesses are still struggling to reopen.
