UN coordinating rapid deployment of international rescue teams to Venezuela quake

The United Nations has mobilized support for Venezuela following a series of powerful earthquakes, working to deploy international rescue teams to the disaster zone.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement Thursday (local time) that the organization was "mobilizing all resources" to respond to the "deadly and destructive" earthquakes that struck Venezuela the previous day.

Fletcher said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was working through the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group to coordinate the rapid deployment of urban search-and-rescue teams from around the world. He added that a rapid-response team had also been dispatched to support UN personnel already on the ground.

He said about 8 million people in Venezuela had already needed humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes struck, warning that the disaster risked compounding existing vulnerabilities and calling for a coordinated international response.

A series of earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 7.5 struck areas near the Venezuelan capital Caracas on June 24.

At least 164 people were killed and 971 injured as of Thursday morning Eastern time, with fears of a rising death toll amid reports of collapsed buildings and widespread infrastructure damage.