Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced Sunday the creation of a commission to inspect homes damaged by a double earthquake that struck Venezuela [1].
The measure comes as the government struggles to organize humanitarian aid and assess the scale of destruction in the hardest-hit regions. The disaster has caused massive loss of life and displaced thousands, leaving the nation's infrastructure in crisis.
Rodríguez said that the new commission will categorize the state of residences using a color-coded system. "For classifying the state of the homes, the authorities will use a color system similar to a traffic light: green, yellow, and red," Rodríguez said [6].
Government officials report a staggering human toll from the seismic events. A government spokesperson said there are 1,450 dead, 3,150 injured, and more than 50,000 missing [3, 4]. While some reports cite more than 3,000 injured [2], the higher-trust government figures specify 3,150 [4].
La Guaira has been identified as the most devastated area, with widespread structural collapse and critical needs for rescue operations [1, 2]. The scale of the tragedy has led to desperate pleas from survivors. "We do not want to leave them there," one Venezuelan citizen said regarding those still trapped in rubble [5].
In addition to the housing commission, Rodríguez extended the suspension of school classes for one more week [2]. The move is intended to allow the government to repurpose educational facilities for emergency shelter or to ensure students are not placed in unstable buildings.
The commission's primary objective is to evaluate destroyed or damaged dwellings to organize the distribution of humanitarian aid [1, 2]. Officials have not yet provided a timeline for when the housing inspections will be completed across all affected provinces.
“"For classifying the state of the homes, the authorities will use a color system similar to a traffic light: green, yellow, and red."”
The use of a 'traffic light' system for housing indicates a triage-based approach to recovery, prioritizing immediate safety over full reconstruction. With over 50,000 people missing, the focus on housing inspections suggests the government is shifting from active search-and-rescue to long-term displacement management and urban stabilization in regions like La Guaira.
