U.S. Southern Command Expands Venezuela Earthquake Relief After 1,719 Deaths

Two earthquakes struck Venezuela last week, and the U.S. response is described by the State Department as the largest disaster relief effort in recent years despite major cuts to U.S. foreign assistance.

“Four hours after powerful earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela’s northern coast and the capital of Caracas, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced on X that he had offered aid to the Venezuelan government to help deal with the aftermath of the tragedy”

CNN

U.S. Southern Command said a humanitarian assistance center and refueling point were established at the airport serving Caracas, Venezuela, after the earthquakes, and it said a U.S. Marine Combat Logistics Company arrived in the country.

CNN

SOUTHCOM said the refueling station at Simón Bolívar International Airport would help speed up the process for nearly a dozen rotary-wing aircraft for personnel airlifts, medical evacuations and heavy-lift sling-load missions.

The UN said Venezuelan authorities confirmed on Monday that at least 1,719 people had died following the earthquakes of 24 June, with some 5,000 more injured, and it said around 12,000 people had been displaced.

In New York, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela Gianluca Rampolla said seven people were pulled alive from the rubble on Sunday as search efforts continued.

Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, said that the official toll stood at 1,943 people killed and 10,571 injured as of Tuesday, while the UN reported 1,719 deaths and some 5,000 injured.

The U.S. military said it was working to assist in Venezuela, and SOUTHCOM stated, "U.S. Marines in Venezuela are supporting U.S. and international first responders during search and rescue efforts in areas hardest-hit by the earthquakes."

El País

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced on X that he had offered aid to the Venezuelan government, and acting President Delcy Rodríguez retweeted the message and instructed Venezuela’s foreign ministry to coordinate the support.

In a press briefing for correspondents in New York, Gianluca Rampolla said, "We continue to operate in a high-risk environment," as the UN scaled up rescue and humanitarian assistance.

The UN said it had agreed to procure 10,000 body bags in anticipation of the death toll rising further, and it reported that around 2,500 structures were damaged, many of which had collapsed entirely.

The UN said recovery “is going to take time,” and it described rapid assessments, debris removal, and early recovery after search operations conclude, with attention to damage to schools and hospitals.

Vanessa May, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Venezuela, told UN News that emotional support would be as essential as food, water or medical care, saying, "There are people who need a hug."

The UN said it was preparing three assistance centres in La Guaira for families who had lost their homes, offering medical care, food, water, sanitation, protection and psychosocial support.

In parallel, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced a joint financial donation of $1 million to the Red Cross to help people affected by the recent Venezuela earthquakes.

South Florida officials said a shipment of 50 tons of humanitarian aid departed from Miami International Airport around 9 p.m. Monday aboard a LATAM Cargo plane, and GEM said the flight carrying 50 tons of aid was its largest shipment so far.