Guyana Dispatches 88 Containers Of Humanitarian Aid To Earthquake-Hit Venezuela

A ship carrying 88 containers of humanitarian aid has departed Guyana for Venezuela, delivering food, medicines, water tanks and heavy equipment to support communities affected by the June 24 earthquake.

The vessel left BK Wharf in Georgetown on Monday as part of a relief operation coordinated by the Government of Guyana with support from several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, the private sector, civil society organisations and members of the Venezuelan community living in Guyana.

Officials said the shipment is expected to reach Venezuela in about four days and will become part of the international humanitarian response.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who visited the wharf before the vessel departed, said the relief effort showed the importance of regional cooperation during times of crisis.

“We have been able to put together 88 containers with relief supplies for the people of Venezuela,” Phillips said.

He said the containers include donations funded by Guyana, Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia and Grenada.

According to Phillips, the shipment contains medicines, food supplies, dry goods, canned goods, non-perishable items, around 300 water tanks and other disaster relief supplies.

Phillips said President Irfaan Ali had asked him to lead and coordinate the relief effort after the earthquake.

The operation involved the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, private companies and other organisations that helped collect, sort, load and dispatch the supplies.

He thanked donors, members of the Joint Services, businesses, civil society groups and citizens who worked over the past seven days to prepare the shipment.

Phillips also acknowledged the support of John Fernandes Limited, Muneshwers Limited, ANSA McAL, RSD, GAICO, NEW GPC INC., the Suri Group of Companies, Tropical Shipping, Banks DIH Limited and BK Group of Companies.

These organisations provided relief supplies, transportation, containers, trucking, cranes and other logistical support.

Later, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, oversaw the ship’s departure on behalf of President Ali.

Singh said the June 24 earthquake caused widespread destruction, loss of life and injuries in Venezuela. He said President Ali immediately expressed sympathy to the Venezuelan people before launching a national and regional effort to gather humanitarian aid.

“Today’s shipment is the result of that effort,” Singh said.

He said the response included contributions from the Government of Guyana, the private sector, Guyanese citizens, Venezuelans living in Guyana and several CARICOM governments that responded after President Ali reached out to regional leaders.

Singh thanked the seven participating CARICOM countries for supporting the initiative and said the shipment showed both Guyana’s efforts and the region’s collective response.

“Venezuela is our neighbor, the Venezuelan people are our neighbors, and so we consider this to be the least that we could do as a country in this moment of tragedy,” he said.

The minister also said Guyana is in contact with U.S. counterparts working in Venezuela. The relief supplies will be handed over to the U.S. team on the ground, which will combine them with the wider international humanitarian response before distribution.

Director General of the Civil Defence Commission, Colonel Nazrul Hussain, said the shipment also includes about 300 black water tanks and two pieces of heavy earth-moving equipment in addition to the 88 containers of relief supplies.

He said the donations from the private sector, civil society organisations, Guyanese families, CARICOM partners and members of the Venezuelan community in Guyana showed a shared commitment to helping communities affected by the earthquake.

References: guyanachronicle, dpi