The United States is mobilizing immediate, life-saving resources as part of a rapid, government-wide response to two devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
In the wake of the tragic disasters, U.S. President Donald Trump immediately authorized the U.S. government to commit significant financial assistance, deploy search and rescue efforts, and collaborate with the interim Venezuelan authorities to address the acute needs of the Venezuelan people.
“We have a whole-of-government response,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “It’ll be big; it’ll be fast; and it’ll be effective.”
The U.S. Department of State has deployed Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) which include specialized urban search and rescue teams focused on locating and reaching survivors. In addition to immediate search and rescue, airlift and coordination support, the U.S. is mobilizing $150 million in assistance to Venezuela through its assistance partners. This effort draws on $50 million in new bilateral awards to partners on the ground in Venezuela, including World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme, plus a $100 million contribution to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Venezuela pooled fund.
The Department of War is assisting with logistical and operational capabilities to support the rapid movement of response personnel, equipment, and humanitarian assistance into affected areas. The U.S. military will leverage its fixed and rotor wing aircraft to provide specialized mobility services to aid U.S. government personnel, search and rescue teams, and partners to assess damage, find the injured, and deliver critical life-saving assistance.
As the days go forward, Secretary Rubio said the U.S. will be working to help restore internet and communications and to find housing for the affected refugees. The Venezuela Earthquakes Response Task Force has been created to help coordinate public and private sector assistance.
“I can imagine that there’s going to be a lot of people from the United States and entities in the United States,” said Secretary Rubio. “We’ve already been in touch with some of the leading charities, but I know at the local level … there’ll be a lot of people that are going to want to step forward and help and provide assistance, and we just need to find the way that we can step in and provide logistical support from that.”
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 meaningful assistance during this critical time.