Major Earthquakes Devastate Venezuelan Population; World Food Programme Appeals for Aid

(United Nations Headquarters, New York, July 30, Central News Agency, Combined News Agencies) Following two powerful earthquakes exceeding magnitude 7 that struck Venezuela consecutively on June 24, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today appealed to the international community for $50 million in aid to provide three months of food assistance to approximately 500,000 local residents.

According to Agence France-Presse, Stephanie Hochstetter, the WFP representative in Venezuela, told reporters that the two major earthquakes have caused over 1,900 deaths and tens of thousands of disappearances, further exacerbating the difficult situation for the local population.

Hochstetter stated, "The earthquakes have severely impacted many households, some of which were already struggling to afford basic food expenses. With livelihoods disrupted and critical infrastructure heavily damaged, many people face the real danger of falling into deeper hardship."

She added, "We have learned from other earthquakes of similar magnitude that when attention fades, the needs remain... This is why we are calling for sustained assistance from the outset to ensure that households do not fall into a long-term cycle of food insecurity."

Data from the United Nations earlier this year already indicated that 7.9 million people in Venezuela require humanitarian assistance. (Intern Editor: Tseng Yi-chieh / Reviewer: Chen Yen-chun) 0701

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