Newswire
Paris: France this week delivered 44 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes that struck the country on June 24, reaffirming its solidarity with the Venezuelan people and its commitment to supporting ongoing relief efforts.
In a statement, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said the assistance was dispatched at the request of the Venezuelan authorities and coordinated by the ministry’s Crisis and Support Centre.
The shipment included 38 tonnes of emergency relief supplies transported from Guadeloupe, comprising temporary shelters, solar-powered lamps and hygiene kits provided by the French government and the French Red Cross.
The humanitarian cargo arrived in Venezuela this week and will be distributed to affected communities through the Venezuelan Red Cross with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
An additional six tonnes of food and non-food relief items, donated by residents of Martinique, will be delivered to communities in need through the humanitarian organisation Caritas Venezuela.
French authorities said the aid mission was carried out with logistical support from French Armed Forces units stationed in the French West Indies and in partnership with the French Red Cross.
The humanitarian operation follows the deployment of 85 French rescue personnel to Venezuela at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron. Working alongside Venezuelan emergency services, the team conducted search-and-rescue and debris-clearing operations until July 4 to assist communities affected by the earthquakes.
France said the relief efforts were undertaken within the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, which facilitates coordinated emergency assistance among participating countries during major disasters.
Reaffirming its support for Venezuela, the French government expressed its deepest sympathy to the victims of the earthquakes, their families and all those impacted by the disaster, pledging to continue assisting the Venezuelan people during the recovery process.
