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- October 13, 202617°
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- October 13, 202617°
Turkey delivers 30 tons of humanitarian aid to earthquake-stricken Venezuela
The aid supplies, sent via two military transport planes, were received at a ceremony held at the Simon Bolivar Air Base in the capital Caracas. The aid, delivered after two weeks of work by Turkish search and rescue teams, includes 275 tents and 7 tons of medical supplies.
Two military transport planes belonging to the Turkish Air Force delivered 30 tons of humanitarian aid supplies to the region following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
The aid supplies landed at the Simon Bolivar Air Base in the capital Caracas. Turkey's Ambassador to Caracas Naci Aydan Karamanoğlu and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil attended the ceremony.
In his speech at the ceremony, Ambassador Karamanoğlu stated that Turkish institutions made great efforts to assist the victims after the two devastating earthquakes. Emphasizing that Turkish search and rescue teams worked selflessly in the disaster zone for two weeks, Karamanoğlu said:
Venezuelan authorities and the public appreciated the work of our experts. This satisfaction was also reflected in the local media. The professionalism and dedication of the Turkish teams were repeatedly highlighted in the news. I thank the personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces Humanitarian Aid Brigade, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) staff, the National Medical Rescue Teams (UMKE), and the Turkish Red Crescent.
Karamanoğlu recalled that Venezuela also sent search and rescue teams to the region during the earthquakes that struck Turkey on February 6, 2023, described as the 'disaster of the century'.
The ambassador noted that Turkish search and rescue teams had completed their mission and started returning home, saying: 'In addition to the 275 large tents sent by AFAD, equipment for setting up a tent city and approximately 7 tons of medicine and medical supplies were delivered to Venezuela. We had previously provided humanitarian support through AFAD, TİKA, and the Turkish Red Crescent. This shipment adds a new one to our aid. We will continue to support the friendly people of Venezuela.'
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil, for his part, highlighted the importance of Turkey's solidarity. Gil said: 'This meeting and, above all, the solidarity of the Turkish people with Venezuela is of great importance to us. On behalf of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, we thank Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish government, the Turkish people, Ambassador Aydan Karamanoğlu, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, with whom we have been in constant contact since the first hours of the disaster. Turkey, as always, was one of the first countries to extend a helping hand from the very beginning of the disaster.'
Gil recalled that Acting President Rodriguez awarded the 'Hero of Venezuela' medal to the Turkish teams that participated in the rescue operation, and said: 'Now it is time to move on to the recovery phase.'
The ceremony was also attended by Brigadier General Mehmet Bahtiyar, Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces Humanitarian Aid Brigade, and representatives of AFAD and UMKE who came to Venezuela after the earthquake.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) had announced that two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela 39 seconds apart on June 24. According to a June 26 assessment by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the direct physical damage from the disaster reached $6.7 billion. As search and rescue efforts continue in the country, officials are concerned about the rising death toll and number of injured.
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