The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has expressed his gratitude to the 90 members of the START team from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), who have returned to Spain after a month of operations in Caracas.
The second rotation of the team was received last Friday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, marking the end of a mission that assisted more than 7,200 people affected by the earthquakes that occurred in Venezuela at the end of June.
During their time in the country, the START field hospital operated in the Parque del Este de Caracas, where it attended to 3,463 patients in various specialties, such as pediatrics, traumatology, and mental health, conducting a total of 4,290 medical consultations. Additionally, a triage point allowed for the assessment and referral of 2,962 more people, raising the total number of people assisted to 7,252. Among those treated, 62% were women and 38% were men, including 595 individuals over 65 years old and 109 pregnant women, highlighting the care for people in vulnerable situations.
The team, made up of 56 health professionals and 34 specialists in logistics and coordination, demonstrated remarkable collaboration with Venezuelan authorities and international organizations. The AECID also made donations to the Ministry of Health of Venezuela, which included medications and medical supplies valued at 50,000 euros and construction materials for temporary shelters totaling 302,500 euros, thus contributing to improving the living conditions of families affected by the tragedy.