Venezuela earthquake death toll climbs to 4,930 as UN warns 50,000 may be missing

The confirmed death toll from two earthquakes that devastated Venezuela in June has risen to 4,930, lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez announced on Thursday, while the United Nations estimates as many as 50,000 people may still be missing, many feared buried under rubble [Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/venezuela-earthquake-number-of-known-dead-rises-to-nearly-5000-victims].

The disaster has wounded nearly 17,000 people and left 21,120 living in shelters, with international rescue teams that arrived in the immediate aftermath now having departed as the effort shifts from search-and-rescue to humanitarian relief and rebuilding [Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/venezuela-earthquake-number-of-known-dead-rises-to-nearly-5000-victims].

Displaced Venezuelans have criticised the pace of the official response, with one resident, Cinthia Pulido, telling Al Jazeera that the first response came "from civilians and independent people" and that "the state's response is only being seen now" [Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/venezuela-earthquake-number-of-known-dead-rises-to-nearly-5000-victims].

Economists say tight US sanctions are complicating recovery, with Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research noting Venezuela has "$11bn blocked by the US and European countries" that it "should legally have"; the UN has estimated rebuilding could cost $37bn [Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/venezuela-earthquake-number-of-known-dead-rises-to-nearly-5000-victims].

Pressure is mounting in Washington to ease restrictions, after a group of 14 Democratic lawmakers wrote to the White House urging sanctions relief to aid recovery, arguing the measures are "severely hampering urgent relief efforts," according to a report from Spain's El Pais cited by Al Jazeera [Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/16/venezuela-earthquake-number-of-known-dead-rises-to-nearly-5000-victims].

_Source Reporters corrects factual errors as soon as they are confirmed._