The Daily Journal. — The United States government announced the mobilization of financial and logistical resources as part of an interagency response to the earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday. President Donald Trump’s administration authorized a $150 million relief package to support humanitarian assistance and deploy technical teams to work alongside local authorities in the affected areas.
The U.S. Department of State is coordinating the response through a specialized Task Force that will centralize emergency operations.
“The United States is mobilizing $150 million in assistance for Venezuela through our humanitarian partners. This funding includes $50 million in new bilateral awards to partners operating on the ground in Venezuela,” the Department of State said in an official statement.
Organizations receiving funding for direct relief operations include World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Program. The financial package also includes a $100 million contribution to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) pooled fund for Venezuela.
Logistics deployment and military support
Because of the scale of the disaster, the Department of State requested additional operational capabilities to speed the delivery of emergency supplies into the hardest-hit urban areas.
“The Department is also working in close coordination with the Department of War (DoW), leveraging the DoW’s unmatched logistical and operational capabilities to support the rapid movement of emergency personnel, equipment, and humanitarian assistance into the affected areas,” the statement said.
Military forces will use both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for logistical transport, damage assessment, and medical evacuation missions. Officials also confirmed the arrival of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) comprising crisis assessment specialists, urban search-and-rescue teams from the Fairfax County (Virginia) and Los Angeles County (California) fire departments, medical personnel, and structural engineers, who will assist with debris removal operations.
