EU delivers emergency aid and organises a humanitarian flight in response to earthquakes in Venezuela

In response to the increasing humanitarian needs caused by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, the European Union is delivering €5 million in humanitarian aid to provide immediate help to the most affected communities. This emergency funding will focus on providing shelter and healthcare to people affected by the disaster.

Additionally, the EU is also organizing a Humanitarian Air Bridge to transport essential supplies to the affected areas. A flight is scheduled to leave early this week from Copenhagen, with around 50 tonnes of shelter material, water and sanitation equipment and education supplies. 

This new assistance comes on top of the €52 million already allocated this year to respond to the humanitarian consequences of the socio-economic crisis in Venezuela.

The humanitarian aid released follows the EU's continuous efforts to coordinate the emergency response through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.  The Commission has received offers from 11 EU membesr states and one Participating State, providing search and rescue teams, medical teams and telecommunication support.  

A team of 11 technical experts from Spain, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Estonia and the Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) arrived over the weekend to Venezuela to support operations on the ground, in addition to a further team of experts provided by Italy. This makes in total 14 EU countries having contributed with search and rescue teams, medical teams and telecommunication support, or with technical knowledge so far.

Furthermore, the Copernicus satellite service has also been activated in its emergency mapping mode. This helps to capture high-resolution imagery of crisis zones, converting raw data into actionable maps for rescue teams, NGOs, and civil protection authorities. Copernicus has already produced 25 maps and 13 images from 13 different Areas of Interest.

Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib (pictured) said: “The EU remains committed to helping the Venezuelan people, and we are doing so with all the tools at our disposal. This additional funding and supplies will provide much needed help to families who lost their homes, patients in need of medical assistance or children whose schools have been damaged. EU Member States continue to show remarkable solidarity, with up to 14 EU countries already contributing to this relief operation, and the European Union coordinating and transporting the aid, in a true Team Europe spirit.”

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