US pledges $150 million to earthquake-hit Venezuela, dispatches search-and-rescue teams

By Seo Ji-yeon, The Herald Business

The United States will provide $150 million in emergency aid to Venezuela following a series of powerful earthquakes that caused mass casualties, and will deploy urban search-and-rescue teams to the disaster zone.

The State Department said Wednesday (local time) that President Donald Trump approved immediate financial assistance and search-and-rescue operations in response to the urgent humanitarian needs of the Venezuelan people, acting shortly after the earthquakes struck.

Of the total $150 million, $50 million will go toward on-the-ground relief through international humanitarian organizations, while the remaining $100 million will be channeled into the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Venezuela Humanitarian Fund.

The $50 million will be disbursed through international relief agencies operating in the country, including World Vision, Samaritan's Purse, Catholic Relief Services, International Medical Corps, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme.

Alongside the financial aid, the US is deploying two urban search-and-rescue teams — one from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia and one from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The teams include firefighters, emergency medical personnel, structural engineering specialists and search-dog handlers. Both teams previously conducted rescue operations in Jamaica following hurricane damage last year.

The State Department has also established a dedicated disaster-response task force, which will coordinate with the US Defense Department to ensure that rescue personnel, equipment and humanitarian supplies reach affected areas as quickly as possible.

The disaster began Tuesday when a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck Venezuela, followed just 39 seconds later by a stronger magnitude-7.5 tremor. Buildings and homes collapsed across multiple areas, including the capital Caracas. The US Geological Survey warned of the potential for significant casualties. Venezuelan authorities are conducting rescue operations while working to determine the full extent of the damage.