Crumbling edifice
Cost of rebuilding more than damage for quake-hit Venezuela, experts say
Healthcare, mental health support and access to safe drinking water were the immediate priorities, he added, as many families were still relying on bottled water for drinking, cooking and washing.
"Recovery here will be measured in years, not weeks," said Craig. "Health centers, schools, water systems, power and sewerage were destroyed or badly damaged."
The pace of reconstruction would be a decisive factor in shaping the country's economic recovery and social outcomes. Without higher public and private investment, productive capacity and GDP would likely remain below pre-quake levels until at least 2036, the World Bank said.
Additional borrowing would add to Venezuela's already large debt stock, but could stoke stronger growth, which would gradually strengthen the country's fiscal position, it said.
AGENCIES VIA XINHUA
