CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) —The United Nations (UN) launched an urgent appeal Wednesday for nearly US$300 million towards Venezuela earthquake relief operations after the death toll from the disaster rose to more than 3,600 people.

There is huge humanitarian need after one of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters left thousands of people homeless and thousands more still missing. In badly damaged La Guaira, families are still digging for the bodies of loved ones in the rubble.

“Donors are already stepping up, and I pay tribute to them, and I thank them,” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said during a meeting on the disaster.

Officials were appealing for $296 million to provide urgently needed aid for 1.3 million people over six months, he said.

Caracas also called Wednesday for the release of frozen assets to help raise funds for the country’s recovery.

“We call upon all countries currently holding blocked funds belonging to Venezuela to initiate a plan to release these funds so that they can be used for recovery efforts,” Foreign Minister Yvan Gil told the UN meeting.

“There are accounts belonging to the Venezuelan state in various parts of the world that have been frozen as a result of illegal sanctions.”

Gil referenced gold held by Britain and finances frozen by the United States.

The United States (US) government has already lifted a number of economic sanctions against Venezuela for four months to facilitate relief operations.

Washington had imposed sweeping economic sanctions on Venezuela, particularly from 2019 onward, in an effort to squeeze the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States considered illegitimate.

Since US forces toppled Maduro in January, ties with Caracas have improved.

The Trump administration has supported interim president Delcy Rodriguez and has gradually eased sanctions, particularly to facilitate the development of Venezuela’s huge oil reserves.

Even before the June 24 tragedy, Venezuela struggled with decades of economic turmoil that left infrastructure and health services depleted.

The UN estimates the quakes caused $6.7 billion in damage — equivalent to six per cent of Venezuela’s GDP.

The international airport serving Caracas was also damaged and is still closed to commercial flights.

Two weeks after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, international rescue teams have mostly ended attempts to find survivors, though families continue to scour ruins for bodies.

The government updated the death toll on Tuesday to 3,685 and said nearly 17,000 were injured.

Nearly 18,000 people have been left homeless by the quakes, which flattened scores of residential buildings in La Guaira.

In the Caraballeda sector of La Guaira, three families sat Wednesday at a corner waiting for donations after searching the area for food, water and other supplies.

They managed to find diapers, bottles of water, toilet paper and some food.

“I don’t know how long we will be like this,” said Stefani Garate, 26, who used to sell coconut candies on the beach.

“At least today they gave us some rice, spaghetti and sardines.”

Genesis Ramirez, 34, a hairdresser, was looking for her nieces in the wreckage of one building.

“How can I not have hope when a baby was pulled alive from this same building? How can I lose faith?” she said. “Until you see the body, you don’t lose hope.”

Nearly a dozen excavators removed rubble from the OPP housing complex where several towers completely collapsed.

A few people there maintained a vigil, hoping to recover their loved ones’ bodies.

The stench of decomposition permeated the air, as a woman wept over a black body bag.

“Now all that’s left is body recovery,” one soldier said.