The UAE has sent 70 tonnes of aid and relief supplies to Venezuela after the country was struck by twin earthquakes.
The shipment, which was delivered through the UAE Aid Agency in co-ordination with the country’s embassy in Caracas, consisted of “medical supplies, tents and shelter material to help address urgent humanitarian needs, and support the response efforts of the Venezuelan authorities”.
The death toll from the earthquakes has risen to more than 5,000, according to the latest figures released by the interim government of Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez.
The assistance reflected the UAE’s long-standing commitment to responding rapidly to humanitarian crises, said Dr Tareq Al Ameri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, the state news agency Wam reported.
The supplies will “help meet urgent shelter and healthcare needs by providing accommodation material for displaced people and medical aid to support the treatment of those injured, contributing to early recovery efforts and easing the suffering of those affected”, he said.
The UAE was the first country to provide these specific medical supplies and medicines, said Alexandra Hernandez, Venezuela’s vice minister of health, according to Wam.