Guyana and CARICOM dispatch relief aid to earthquake-hit Venezuela

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (AFP) — St Vincent and the Grenadines has joined other member states within the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela following the earthquakes on June 24. St Vincent contributed to the initiative alongside Guyana, Grenada, Belize, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and St Kitts and Nevis, complementing humanitarian support from other Caricom member states. According to Prime Minister Godwin Friday, his administration understands firsthand the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of standing together in times of crisis. “We have faced our own difficult times, and we know how much it means to have friends and neighbours stand with you when you need them most,” Friday said. “So, we stand with our Caricom partners to extend a helping hand to the people of Venezuela. We hope this contribution will bring comfort and support to families and communities working to recover and rebuild,” the prime minister said. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, said the regional response underscores the importance of cooperation and solidarity among Caribbean nations. “When our neighbours face hardship, we must be prepared to stand together and respond. This humanitarian effort demonstrates what we can achieve through regional cooperation and collective action,” Bramble said. “St Vincent and the Grenadines is pleased to contribute to this Caricom initiative and to stand with the Government and people of Venezuela during this difficult period.” The shipment was received on behalf of the government and people of Venezuela by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yván Gil, accompanied by the Vice Minister for the Caribbean, Raúl Li Causi. During a brief meeting with Caricom representatives, interim President Delcy Rodríguez expressed gratitude to the leaders of the participating Caricom member states for their humanitarian assistance and requested that her appreciation be conveyed to Prime Minister Friday and the people of St Vincent. Gil also expressed his appreciation to Caricom, describing the bloc as a steadfast friend and partner whose solidarity reflects the strength of regional cooperation in times of need. The twin earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 caused catastrophic damage across north-central Venezuela, resulting in over 4,800 confirmed deaths, with thousands more reported missing following building collapses. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs further said that nearly 17,000 individuals were wounded and required medical care. Over 18,000 people lost their homes and were placed in temporary transitional camps. The regional humanitarian initiative delivered 88 containers of relief supplies to La Guaira. The shipment included food, medicines, construction materials, debris-removal equipment and 300 water tanks to support affected communities.

CARACAS, Venezuela (CMC) — Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has publicly thanked Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries for their humanitarian aid to the South American country following the June 24 twin earthquakes that killed thousands of people and left several others homeless. Caricom member states, including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Haiti, have dispatched 88 containers of emergency supplies, medical specialists and equipment. The joint effort was loaded and shipped from Guyana. Rodriguez says the regional response reflects the strong bonds of friendship shared across the Caribbean, and as she inspected the relief supplies on Tuesday, Rodriguez, speaking through an interpreter, said she was deeply moved by the assistance provided through Caricom. “I am moved because I am among Caricom countries, countries of our Caribbean, who, with great effort coordinated by Guyana, have all sent aid to Venezuela. I want to thank the prime ministers, President Irfan Ali, the prime minister of Barbados, the president of Suriname, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, of St Kitts and Nevis, of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the prime minister of Belize. “I also thank St Lucia, Antigua and Dominica, well, for all this effort to support our people. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the Venezuelan people, I thank you for this support you are providing to our country,” she said. The acting head of state said that the humanitarian assistance is a powerful demonstration of regional cooperation and brotherhood. “Venezuela is in your hearts, but we know that you are also in our hearts because at all times we have maintained our close ties of friendship, cooperation and brotherhood. So, on behalf of the government, thank you. Haiti, who also sent doctors, 35 doctors and a field hospital. We spoke about how Haiti will always be with Venezuela and Venezuela will always be with Haiti. It is marked in our history and with that commitment to where we come from and who we are when we set our course toward the future,” Rodriquez added. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Tuesday that nearly three weeks after the devastating earthquakes, the health response in Venezuela is entering a critical early recovery phase focused on restoring essential health services, strengthening referral networks and preventing secondary public health emergencies. According to PAHO’s latest Situation Report, which provides an overview of the evolving response and the organisation’s accompanying Public Health Situation Analysis for Venezuela, the earthquakes have claimed 4,333 lives, left 16,740 people injured, displaced 17,907 people and damaged 38 health facilities. PAHO said that while emergency medical care and rapid assessments helped save lives in the immediate aftermath, the priority is now shifting to restoring health services, rehabilitating damaged facilities and ensuring people continue to receive essential care as recovery begins. PAHO said that as the response transitions into this new phase, it continues to support the Ministry of Health, including through technical cooperation and the coordination of the health cluster, which brings together 110 organisations involved in the health response and is co-led by PAHO and the International Rescue Committee.

A Guyana-led humanitarian relief shipment for communities affected by the devastating June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela has arrived safely at La Guaira Port, marking the successful delivery of a regional assistance effort spearheaded by President Dr Irfaan Ali. Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud announced on his social media page that the vessel Mega Motti, operated by […]

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Sunday delivered a shipment of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, with vessels carrying 88 containers arriving at the La Guaira International Port to assist populations affected by the earthquakes that struck on June 24. The shipment aboard the Mega and Motti included non-perishable food items, medicines, construction materials, machinery for rubble […] The post ‘Guyana stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people’ – Foreign Secretary as relief aid arrives in Venezuela appeared first on INews Guyana.

“The shipment forms part of a humanitarian response initiated by President Irfaan Ali and supported by 7 Caricom countries, the Guyanese private sector and members of the Venezuelan community living in Guyana” View the full post Shipment with 88 containers of relief supplies on the way to earthquake-hit Venezuela on NOW Grenada.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — A humanitarian shipment carrying 88 containers of emergency relief supplies departed Georgetown, Guyana, for earthquake-hit Venezuela, with officials describing the operation as a regional effort supported by seven Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states. The Motti vessel, provided by the BK Group of Companies, left BK Wharf in Kingston, Georgetown on Tuesday carrying emergency supplies, including 300 water tanks, pharmaceuticals, food, cleaning materials and two pieces of earth-moving equipment. The shipment forms part of a humanitarian response initiated by Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and supported by seven Caricom countries, the Guyanese private sector and members of the Venezuelan community living in Guyana. Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who witnessed the vessel’s departure, said the operation reflected both national and regional support for Venezuela. “What we see today is not only the mobilisation made by the government of Guyana but also contributions made by seven member states of Caricom. I want, on President Ali’s behalf, to acknowledge the generosity of all those who supported this initiative,” Singh said. He said the cargo included “earth-moving equipment, pharmaceutical and medicinal supplies, food supplies, including Guyanese rice, cleaning materials and other emergency items typically needed after a disaster of this nature”. “Venezuela is our neighbour, and the Venezuelan people are our neighbours. So, we consider this to be the least that we could do in this moment of tragedy,” he added. Singh said the vessel is expected to reach Venezuela within four days, with distribution of the supplies to be coordinated through an international humanitarian relief effort. Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar said Guyana’s response was driven by humanitarian considerations and regional cooperation. “When your neighbour faces a natural catastrophe, it is only the human thing to do to respond. President Ali committed that Guyana would help, and Guyana has risen to that challenge. The private sector, the Venezuelan community here, and our Caricom brothers and sisters all came together to fill this massive vessel behind us,” Indar said. He said the Motti, which has a cargo capacity of about 1,500 tonnes, would deliver the supplies in collaboration with international partners to ensure they reached affected communities. “The need is great, and we are Venezuela’s closest neighbour. This is a testament to Guyana standing firm as a partner during this crisis,” he said. Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel Nazrul Hussain, said relief items had been collected from all 10 administrative regions of Guyana following the president’s appeal for assistance. “Over a little more than a week, we were able to amass a considerable amount of relief supplies, amounting to about 88 containers. This became a consolidated Caricom effort with Guyana taking the lead,” Hussain said. He said contributions were also received from Grenada, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Belize and Jamaica, in addition to donations from the Guyanese private sector and the Venezuelan community in Guyana. According to Hussain, the shipment consists primarily of food, medical supplies, non-perishable goods, water tanks and two earth-moving machines donated by Ansa McAL. “It demonstrates how quickly Guyana and our regional partners were able to mobilise and consolidate support for our neighbour in a time of need,” he said.