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The U.S. Department of State announced this Wednesday that its total financial commitment to assist Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes on June 24 exceeds 386 million dollars, and it has established a new humanitarian airbridge in partnership with Amazon and Airlink to support the delivery of emergency supplies to the country.
The earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurring just 39 seconds apart and with their epicenter 21 kilometers west of Morón in the state of Carabobo, are considered the most destructive recorded in Venezuela in over a century. The most recent official report from Venezuela raises the death toll to 3,685 dead, 16,740 injured, and more than 17,900 people homeless.
According to the statement from the State Department, the committed funds have arrived "without delay" to trusted partners such as Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, the World Food Program, the International Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, and World Vision, among others, to provide emergency medical care, food, water, sanitation, shelter, and logistics.
Only from the State Department's own warehouses have over 400 metric tons of supplies —shelter and hygiene kits, tarps, buckets, and cooking sets— been distributed, reaching about 70,000 people in communities across the country.
The most notable announcement this Wednesday is the establishment of a humanitarian airbridge between Miami and Maiquetía Airport.
Amazon will conduct weekly cargo flights at no cost for humanitarian organizations; Airlink —a non-governmental organization that connects the aviation sector with humanitarian efforts— will manage the first-mile logistics and prioritize cargo based on the most urgent needs; and the Logistics Cluster led by the World Food Programme will oversee the ground distribution.
"The American industry, American diplomacy, and international partners move forward as one," stated the State Department in its official statement.
In military terms, the USS Fort Lauderdale remains positioned off the coast of La Guaira state, with sailors and Marines delivering supplies directly to the most affected coastal areas using amphibious vessels.
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) continues to support logistics at Simón Bolívar Airport, where the runway was partially rehabilitated thanks to American assistance to enable humanitarian flights from all countries.
The urban search and rescue teams deployed from Fairfax County, Los Angeles County, Miami City, and Miami-Dade County concluded their operations on Monday after successfully rescuing survivors, including a baby and their mother who were found after more than 30 hours trapped under a collapsed building.
In total, more than 60 international rescue teams, comprising over 2,400 rescuers and nearly 200 dogs from 29 countries, responded to the call, including teams from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador.
The State Department emphasized that the response does not end with the withdrawal of rescue teams: "The United States will not leave when the television cameras do," the statement warned, also highlighting the need for "rapid, secure, and risk-informed" housing reconstruction to support long-term recovery.
The Department of State's Disaster Response Team remains in Caracas to continue delivering critical assistance.
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