WASHINGTON: The United States (US) has announced a major humanitarian and logistical operation to assist Venezuela following the country’s devastating twin earthquakes, pledging $150 million in emergency aid while deploying naval vessels, military aircraft and specialised rescue teams to support relief efforts.
The announcement comes after consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck near Venezuela’s Caribbean coast on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction. The disaster has claimed at least 235 lives, with hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed, the country’s principal airport affected, and fears that the casualty figure could continue to rise.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the US Southern Command confirmed that American military assets would provide logistical support for search-and-rescue operations and humanitarian missions. The deployment is intended to assist emergency teams in assessing damage, locating survivors and delivering urgently needed relief supplies.
Among the military assets being sent are the amphibious transport ship USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15). The operation will also include C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to move personnel, equipment and humanitarian cargo into affected areas.
Earlier, the US State Department unveiled a $150 million assistance package comprising $50 million in direct funding for humanitarian organisations already operating in Venezuela and a further $100 million contribution to a United Nations humanitarian fund established for the emergency response.
According to the department, the funding will support several international relief organisations, including World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, the International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme.
Washington is also deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team, alongside two specialised urban search-and-rescue units from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, to strengthen rescue operations on the ground.
Speaking during a visit to Bahrain, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had launched a comprehensive national response involving multiple government agencies.
“We have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big, it’ll be fast, and it’ll be effective,” Rubio said, adding that the US military would play a significant logistical role in supporting humanitarian operations.
State Department officials said the United States was working closely with Venezuela’s interim authorities, humanitarian organisations and private-sector partners to assess urgent needs and ensure that aid reaches affected communities as quickly as possible.
The large-scale US response comes amid improving relations between Washington and Caracas following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro by American forces earlier this year and the subsequent establishment of an interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez.
The United States joins an expanding international relief effort that has seen Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Cuba and several other countries offer rescue teams, medical personnel, aircraft and humanitarian assistance to support Venezuela’s recovery.
