Two earthquakes that struck Venezuela a month ago caused an estimated $19.6 billion in damage, according to figures published by the World Bank on Thursday.
Residential buildings accounted for 47% of the total losses. Infrastructure damage made up 27%, while non-residential buildings, mostly commercial and industrial properties, accounted for the remaining 26%.
Susana Cordeiro Guerra, the World Bank’s vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, said the assessment gives Venezuela’s government and its partners a solid basis for planning reconstruction efforts. “The World Bank is committed to supporting this effort at every stage,” she said.
The Bank said it is working with the Venezuelan government alongside the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America to identify the technical and financial support needed for recovery and rebuilding.
