India sends relief assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela under 'Operation Amistad'
New Delhi, June 28
India has dispatched urgent humanitarian assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela under "Operation Amistad", as part of its disaster relief response efforts, following a series of powerful earthquakes that have caused widespread devastation in the South American nation.
Announcing the development, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X, "Indian assistance reaches Venezuela. Confident that the Field Hospital Unit, relief supplies, medicines & medical equipment, will bolster ongoing post-earthquake relief efforts in the country. #OperationAmistad"
The Indian Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire also detailed the scale of the mission in a post on X, stating that two Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft transited through Abidjan en route to Venezuela carrying relief materials and medical support.
The embassy said, "Operation Amistad - Responding to the devastating earthquake that struck northern Venezuela, the two Indian Airforce C17s transited through Abidjan enroute to Venezuela carrying 35 T of relief equipment, an Indian Army Field Hospital contingent and two BHISHM cubes."
"The contingent comprises 41 personnel, including nine medical officers, and is equipped to provide emergency medical care, trauma management, life-saving surgical support and other essential healthcare services to those affected by the earthquake," it added.
The team is carrying approximately six tonnes of medical stores and humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Ministry of External Affairs. In addition, one of the two aircraft is transporting a BHISHM Cube (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita & Maitri) under India's Aarogya Maitri Project.
"The dispatch of the medical contingent under Operation Amistad reflects India's enduring commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and its readiness to extend timely support to friendly nations in times of crisis," the embassy stated.
Venezuela was struck by two major earthquakes within seconds of each other, earlier on Wednesday.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude 7.1 quake at 2204 GMT, followed just one minute later by an even stronger magnitude 7.5 tremor. Both struck near the coastal town of Moron, about 160 km west of Caracas.
The quakes were shallow with a depth of 10 km, which could intensify their destructive impact.
The death toll from the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Saturday has risen to 1,430, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said on state television that 3,238 people have been injured and 3,142 families affected by the disaster.
After the two powerful magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, Venezuela has recorded 430 light to moderate aftershocks, Rodriguez said in the latest government update on the national emergency.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While this is commendable, I hope we don't spread our resources too thin. We have our own disaster-prone regions like Uttarakhand and Kashmir that also need long-term resilience. But yes, helping Venezuela in their hour of need is the right thing to do, especially as they are friendly to India. Good move by MEA.
Wow, over 1,400 dead and 3,000+ injured... It's heartbreaking. \ud83d\ude22 But I'm proud that India is one of the first nations to respond. The BHISHM Cube is such an innovative portable hospital concept—developed in India, now saving lives in Latin America. This is soft power at its finest. \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddea
It's great that we helped, but I wonder why the Indian media is not covering this more widely. People should know that our Air Force flew C-17s across the Atlantic via Ivory Coast to deliver aid. Meanwhile, some channels are busy with trivial news. Good job to the IAF and Indian Army medical team—you make the nation proud.
As someone who has family in the Caribbean, I know how ill-prepared many of these countries are for large quakes. India's 41-person team with surgical capability and the BHISHM cube—that's not just token aid, that's real capability. Operation Amistad shows we are a reliable friend in times of crisis. Spanish name, Indian soul, global reach. \ud83c\udf0d
J We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.