Venezuela quake death toll rises to 4,333

CARACAS - The death toll from the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 4,333, National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said Saturday.

Rodriguez said 16,740 people were injured and 6,462 had been rescued. Authorities have set up 94 temporary camps sheltering more than 18,000 people.

He said about 30,000 volunteers had signed up to help victims during the critical phase of the disaster, and that the government has proposed involving them in home construction and repair.

As many families remain homeless, Rodriguez said the government had launched a Unified Housing Registry, which will serve both as a census and as a database for state-ordered financial assistance to quake victims.

He said the government needed to move quickly to provide housing for those who had lost their homes permanently and to repair homes that were partially damaged.

The government also plans to set up camps with single-family transitional housing "while permanent homes are being built," Rodriguez said.

He added that the National Assembly would move ahead with reforming the rental law and promoting a credit and subsidy system to help quake-affected families buy homes.

Regarding Venezuelan funds frozen abroad due to economic sanctions by the United States and other countries, Rodriguez said acting President Delcy Rodriguez has sent letters to various governments requesting the release of those assets.