Haiti deploys 31-member medical mission to earthquake-hit Venezuela
Volunteer team arrived July 8 with 5.5 tons of supplies to aid recovery from twin quakes that killed nearly 4,000 people, The Haitian Times reports.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti has deployed a 31-member volunteer medical mission to Venezuela to help the country recover from twin earthquakes, The Haitian Times reported. The delegation of doctors, surgeons and emergency specialists departed Toussaint Louverture International Airport on July 7 and arrived the following day carrying 5.5 tons of medical supplies and equipment. Officials said the team will remain in Venezuela for 15 to 22 days, providing emergency care alongside international relief workers. The earthquakes struck June 24, 39 seconds apart, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, causing widespread destruction in northern Venezuela, including Caracas and the coastal city of Caraballeda in La Guaira state. Government figures released July 8 reported 3,811 deaths, 16,740 injuries and more than 58,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Nearly 18,000 people remain displaced, and the United Nations estimates about 50,000 people are still missing. Health Minister Sinal Bertrand said Venezuela requested assistance after Haiti offered support, and that Haiti would finance the deployment so it would not burden Venezuela. The delegation will cover its own lodging and transportation. Bertrand declined to disclose the mission's cost but thanked the Haitian diaspora for supporting the effort. The government described the deployment as an act of solidarity rooted in longstanding ties between the two nations.