The European Union will allocate an additional 10 million euros in humanitarian funding to help the most affected communities in Venezuela following the earthquakes that occurred on June 24.
The other 10 million euros, subject to the approval of the Budget Authority, will be used to support search and rescue operations, medical teams, and other expert groups, along with the aid in kind deployed in the country.
The announcement coincides with today’s visit to Venezuela by the Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, as a show of the EU’s support for the country in this crisis. During the visit, the Commissioner met in Caracas with EU-funded humanitarian aid partners and local authorities coordinating the emergency response, as well as with one of the European medical teams deployed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Today’s aid adds to the 5 million euros of rescue aid already approved at the end of June and the 52 million euros allocated earlier this year to respond to the humanitarian consequences of the socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela. EU humanitarian aid is channeled solely through partners such as United Nations agencies and international NGOs, which work with local partners.
Additionally, as part of the EU humanitarian airlift launched in June, two EU-funded flights have already landed in Venezuela, bringing nearly 80 tons of essential supplies.
Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, around 750 operators and experts, as well as relief materials, have been mobilized from 18 countries. This includes rescue equipment, medicines, shelters, and a satellite telecommunications platform. The EU’s Copernicus satellite service has also provided emergency maps.
Commissioner Lahbib stated that “Venezuela may be on the other side of the ocean, but the Venezuelan people hold a special place in our hearts. From the first hours after the earthquakes, the European Union has been by their side. And we are intensifying our support. This new funding will help provide food, drinking water, medicines, shelter, and other vital assistance for families who have lost everything. I want to thank the emergency teams who have worked day and night, rescuing survivors from the rubble and bringing hope when it was needed most.”
