The United States continues to coordinate a massive humanitarian response to support the Venezuelan people following the devastating earthquakes on June 24.
The United States’ total financial commitment for disaster assistance to Venezuela stands at more than $386 million. From State Department warehouses alone, the U.S. has already delivered more than 400 metric tons of shelter kits, hygiene kits, buckets, tarps, and kitchen sets – reaching an estimated 70,000 people.
American companies are delivering the logistics and speed that only the United States can bring. Since June 24, Airlink, a nongovernmental organization that connects the aviation and humanitarian sectors during disasters, has mobilized more than two dozen logistics and humanitarian partners to move relief supplies into Venezuela.
The Department of State, Airlink, and Amazon recently announced a new humanitarian air bridge to sustain that response. Amazon will fly relief supplies weekly from Miami, Florida, to Maiquetía, Venezuela, at no cost to humanitarian organizations. American industry, American diplomacy, and international partners are moving as one: Airlink manages non-profit shipping vetting, flight planning, and first-mile logistics; the Department of State facilitates government-to-government coordination; Amazon will provide transport to Venezuela, and once they land, the World Food Program-led Logistics Cluster hands off to humanitarian organizations on the ground for distribution. Humanitarian organizations needing cargo space can submit a request through Airlink’s online form.
The Department of War mobilized American ships and aircraft. The USS Fort Lauderdale remains positioned off the coast of La Guaira State, with U.S. sailors and marines delivering supplies by landing and amphibious craft directly to the hardest-hit coastal areas. A Navy team has deployed to the Port of La Guaira to help reopen the port for humanitarian operations. The U.S. Southern Command continues to support relief logistics, including operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport, where U.S.-backed repair work restored a runway for humanitarian and relief flights from all countries.
More than 60 international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams – with more than 2,400 first responders and nearly 200 canines from 29 countries – answered the call to save lives, working alongside American USAR teams. American and international teams pulled survivors from the rubble days after the earthquakes struck, including an infant and mother rescued after more than 30 hours trapped beneath a collapsed building.
U.S. USAR teams accomplished their mission and have returned home. But the State Department’s Disaster Assistance Response Team remains on the ground in Caracas, continuing to deliver critical humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people.
The State Department recognizes the enormous long-term needs facing the Venezuelan people – above all, the shelter needs of those who have lost their homes. The State Department will continue working with the Interim Government of Venezuela, other donor countries, and relief organizations to address these needs as the response moves into its next phase.
The United States remains steadfast in its commitment to helping Venezuela recover from this devastating disaster and will continue to explore additional ways to provide assistance during this critical time.