The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,333, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced on Saturday, as authorities intensify emergency relief operations and prepare for a long-term reconstruction campaign.

Speaking at a press briefing, Rodríguez said 16,740 people have been injured, while 6,462 survivors have been rescued from collapsed buildings and other disaster-hit areas since the powerful earthquakes rocked several regions of the country.

To accommodate those displaced by the disaster, the government has established 94 temporary camps, currently sheltering more than 18,000 people who remain unable to return to their homes.

Rodríguez said public participation in relief efforts has continued to grow, with around 30,000 volunteers registering to assist emergency responders during the critical recovery phase. He noted that authorities plan to involve volunteers not only in humanitarian assistance but also in the reconstruction of damaged homes and community infrastructure.

As thousands of families remain homeless, the government has launched a Unified Housing Registry, designed to function as both a nationwide census of affected households and a database for distributing state financial assistance to earthquake victims.

"The priority is to rapidly provide permanent housing for families who lost everything while repairing homes that sustained partial damage," Rodríguez said.

The government also plans to establish transitional camps consisting of single-family temporary housing units, allowing displaced residents to live in safer conditions while permanent homes are constructed.

In addition to emergency housing measures, Rodríguez said the National Assembly will move forward with reforms to Venezuela's rental legislation and introduce a new credit and subsidy program aimed at helping earthquake-affected families purchase or rebuild homes.

Emergency response teams, including civil protection personnel, firefighters, military units, and medical workers, continue to conduct damage assessments and distribute food, drinking water, medicines, and other essential supplies in the hardest-hit communities. Authorities have also restored electricity and telecommunications to many affected areas, although some remote locations remain difficult to access due to damaged roads and landslides.

Seismologists have reported numerous aftershocks since the initial earthquakes, prompting officials to urge residents to avoid structurally compromised buildings until engineering inspections are completed. Disaster management agencies remain on high alert as rescue operations transition into recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Addressing Venezuela's financial constraints, Rodríguez said Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has formally appealed to several foreign governments for the release of Venezuelan state assets frozen abroad under U.S. and other international sanctions.

He argued that access to the frozen funds would significantly strengthen the country's ability to finance humanitarian assistance, rebuild public infrastructure, and accelerate housing projects for thousands of families displaced by the disaster.

Authorities say reconstruction is expected to take months, with the government pledging continued support for affected communities as Venezuela faces one of the deadliest natural disasters in its recent history. (ILKHA)