World · Venezuela quake · ArchiveWorld Bank: Venezuela Earthquake Damage Tops $19.6B, Recovery Could Take a DecadeAired July 23, 2026 at 7:09 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The World Bank has put a price tag on0:02last month's devastating twin0:03earthquakes in Venezuela, nearly 200:05billion dollars in damage with recovery0:07expected to stretch more than a decade.0:10The bank's global rapid damage0:12estimation report, released July 23rd,0:14quantifies direct physical damage from0:16the June 24th quakes at 19.6 billion0:19dollars, roughly 18% of Venezuela's0:22entire GDP. Half of all losses are0:24concentrated in just two areas, La0:27Guaira state and the capital district0:29surrounding Caracas. In total, seven0:32states from Miranda west to Falcon were0:34impacted. Home to 11.5 million people,0:37about 40% of Venezuela's population. The0:40damage breakdown tells a stark story.0:42Residential housing absorbed 47% of the0:45destruction. Infrastructure took 27%.0:48Non-residential buildings another 26%.0:59The report also details what has been1:01lost. More than 900 schools across nine1:04states and 38 hospitals were damaged or1:06destroyed. For a population already1:08enduring economic collapse,1:10hyperinflation, and mass displacement,1:13this is a catastrophe layered on top of1:15a crisis.1:23The World Bank warns that without1:25prioritized sustained funding,1:27reconstruction could take more than a1:28decade. And this leaves a critical1:31question unanswered. Who will pay for1:33rebuilding? And will ordinary1:34Venezuelans, already bearing the weight1:37of the country's economic collapse, be1:39left waiting?Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗