Venezuelan authorities said Sunday that the death toll from the powerful twin earthquakes that struck the country’s northern coast nearly a month ago has risen to 5,208, as recovery efforts increasingly shift from emergency relief to the long-term challenges of environmental restoration and debris removal.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said 89 additional fatalities had been confirmed since the previous official update. The number of injured remained at 16,740, while 17,907 people continue to be without permanent housing.

The two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck on June 24 just 39 seconds apart, devastating parts of La Guaira, Caracas and neighboring states in what has become one of Venezuela’s worst natural disasters in decades.

The latest government figures show 23,820 displaced people living in 107 temporary shelters, while authorities say they have provided assistance to 128,324 families affected by the disaster.

Tens of thousands of people also remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the earthquakes. Preliminary assessments released in late June by humanitarian organizations estimated that about 45,000 people were still missing, although many are believed to be isolated by damaged infrastructure and communications rather than trapped beneath the rubble.

Seismic activity has continued since the initial shocks. Venezuela’s Seismological Research Foundation reported 1,388 aftershocks, including a magnitude 3.0 tremor early Sunday west of La Guaira at a depth of 3.9 kilometers. Residents reported feeling the quake on social media, but officials said no damage or injuries were reported.

The official assessment of structural damage remains unchanged, with 856 buildings affected, including 190 that collapsed.

With search-and-rescue operations now largely complete, the government is increasingly turning its attention to rebuilding communities while addressing the environmental impact left by the disaster.

The Ministry of Ecosocialism announced Sunday that it has begun implementing an environmental recovery plan along La Guaira’s coastline, the area hardest hit by the earthquakes. Officials said the initiative will combine coastal cleanup with a broader redesign of land use aimed at improving the region’s long-term environmental resilience.

Among the measures under consideration is phytoremediation, a technique that uses specially selected plant species to restore degraded soils and coastal ecosystems.

The ministry also said authorities are evaluating how the affected coastline should be reorganized to better protect natural resources, although it provided few additional details.

The environmental initiative comes days after officials estimated that the earthquakes generated approximately 2.106 million metric tons of debris, based on a joint assessment conducted with the United Nations Development Program. Clearing that rubble has emerged as one of the largest engineering and logistical challenges facing the reconstruction effort.

Officials have said rebuilding will extend well beyond replacing damaged buildings, requiring major investments in housing, infrastructure and environmental rehabilitation as thousands of displaced Venezuelans continue to depend on temporary shelters while recovery moves forward.

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