Haiti Deploys 31-Member Medical Mission to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
The volunteer team arrived July 8 with 5.5 tons of medical supplies after twin quakes killed nearly 4,000 people in northern Venezuela.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti has deployed a 31-member volunteer medical mission to Venezuela to assist with recovery from twin earthquakes, according to The Haitian Times. The delegation of doctors, surgeons and emergency specialists left Haiti on July 7 from Toussaint Louverture International Airport and arrived the following day carrying 5.5 tons of medical supplies and equipment. Officials said the team will remain in the country for 15 to 22 days, providing emergency care alongside international relief workers. The earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24, just 39 seconds apart, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, causing widespread destruction in 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 remain missing. Health Minister Sinal Bertrand said Haiti would finance the deployment so it would not burden Venezuela, and the delegation will cover its own lodging and transportation costs. He thanked the Haitian diaspora for supporting the effort. The Prime Minister's Office said Venezuela requested assistance after Haiti offered support, describing the deployment as an act of solidarity rooted in longstanding ties between the two nations.