Structural engineer Hideki “Kit” Miyamoto described the seismic activity that struck Venezuela on June 24 as the world’s third most complex natural disaster, behind only the earthquakes in China in 2008 and Turkey in 2023.
The urban resilience specialist, in an interview with Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) reported by teleSUR, also highlighted the swift, organized and effective institutional response mobilized by the national government, rescue agencies and international organizations to meet the immediate needs of civilians in the affected areas.
Miyamoto, who has more than 30 years of experience, said that, based on a technical assessment, structural damage was concentrated in coastal areas and on hillsides.
He warned that in some cases internal fractures had been identified and required priority attention, while confirming that reconstruction in the state of La Guaira was entirely feasible.
Miyamoto said he was confident about the country’s future and emphasized that lessons learned in the field and the profound resilience of the Venezuelan people would make it possible to overcome the current emergency and allow Venezuela to emerge stronger from adversity.
The structural engineer, from Miyamoto International, met with Venezuela’s Sectoral Vice President for Public Works and Services, Juan José Ramírez, to analyze proposals for seismic resistance assessments submitted by the company based on its international experience with high-intensity earthquakes, which require advanced engineering measures to adapt future buildings to the territory’s new conditions.
Ramírez said these international cooperation meetings were taking place thanks to the efforts of acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
According to the public works minister, the meetings aim to establish standards that will ensure structures can withstand major earthquakes in the medium and long term. He recalled that the June 24 earthquakes caused severe damage to public and private buildings in La Guaira and other states.
Ramírez added that delegations from Mexico, Japan and other countries were collaborating on proposals to develop an early-warning system and an efficient risk-management mechanism capable of responding to future crises.
Finally, he emphasized that Miyamoto’s technical advice would be integrated directly into the Venezuela Renace plan for national reconstruction.
Venezuela assists 120,000 families after earthquakes
Venezuela is providing assistance to more than 120,000 families following the June 24 earthquakes, has expanded the number of temporary camps to 108 and has reported 4,490 deaths in its latest official tally. The emergency facilities house 19,583 people and provide food, drinking water, shelter and continuous medical care.
According to teleSUR, which reported figures from Venezuela’s Social Vice Presidency on Sunday (12), the government mobilized human, technical and logistical resources to help 120,794 families affected by the earthquakes. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez described caring for people living in the camps as one of the state’s priorities.
The shelters have a total capacity of 25,087 people. Current occupancy of 19,583 residents represents approximately 78% of available spaces, although some of the most severely affected areas are already near capacity or undergoing expansion.
Caracas and La Guaira account for most shelter residents
Caracas has 41 temporary camps with space for 11,172 people. Of these, 6,429 places are occupied by families whose homes were destroyed, declared unsafe or placed under safety inspection.
In La Guaira, one of the regions hardest hit by the earthquakes, 28 camps have been established, six of which are being expanded. Altogether, 10,908 people are living in these facilities, the largest number among the affected states.
Miranda has 29 camps, with capacity for 3,760 people and 1,696 spaces occupied. In Aragua, the ten temporary shelters established by the government are completely full, accommodating 550 people.
The camps provide food, drinking water, shelter and round-the-clock medical care. Families remain there while technical teams assess buildings and determine whether residents can safely return.
Where homes have been destroyed or deemed beyond repair, those affected are to be included in reconstruction and resettlement programs under the Venezuela Renace Mission.
Government estimates need for 25,000 homes
Jorge Rodríguez, coordinator of the General Staff for Temporary Camps, announced that the first 200 homes for affected families were expected to be delivered during the week beginning July 13.
The government has also launched the Unified Housing Registry, a system designed to identify people and families who lost their homes. The survey will provide a basis for allocating new housing units and setting priorities for the reconstruction plan.
Authorities estimate that approximately 25,000 homes will be needed to address damage caused by the earthquakes. The official tally shows that 17,907 people currently have no home.
Another initiative announced by the government involves efforts to recover Venezuelan assets frozen abroad. Authorities say they intend to use these resources to finance reconstruction in affected cities and communities.
A fund is also planned to help condominium associations repair damaged buildings. The plan further includes mortgage loans with subsidies of up to 80% for families needing to buy, repair or rebuild their homes.
Death toll reaches 4,490
The figures released on July 12 raised the earthquake death toll to 4,490. Another 16,740 people were injured, while 6,462 have been rescued since emergency operations began.
Seismic monitoring recorded 1,222 aftershocks related to the main June 24 earthquakes. The large number of additional tremors is keeping civil protection teams on alert and affecting when residents can return to buildings that remain standing.
Technical surveys identified 856 damaged buildings, 190 of which collapsed. Inspections continue to determine which structures can be repaired and which will have to be demolished.
Operation distributes nearly 10,000 tons of food
The civilian and military humanitarian response has distributed 9,995 tons of food and provided 18,507,166 liters of drinking water to priority areas. Public health brigades have treated 32,401 patients in camps, hospitals and other assistance centers.
The operation involves 31,837 Venezuelan personnel working in security, civil protection and risk management. It also includes 30,535 volunteers from community organizations and 2,422 international rescuers sent to assist with search and rescue efforts and humanitarian care.
As rescue operations gradually wind down, authorities are concentrating their efforts on sheltering families, clearing rubble, assessing buildings and implementing the housing plan needed to resettle thousands of Venezuelans who lost their homes.
Source: brasil247.com
Leave a Reply