Image Credits: U.S. Navy
The United States has expanded its military-backed humanitarian response to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the country’s Caribbean coast, deploying Navy warships, Marines, Air Force transport aircraft and search-and-rescue teams to support relief efforts as the death toll continues to rise.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said it has deployed the amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS-15), along with C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft, to support a U.S. State Department-led relief mission following the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24.
The military assets are helping move rescue teams, government personnel and emergency supplies while supporting damage assessments and relief operations across the affected areas.
SOUTHCOM said the deployed forces will provide transport and logistics support to U.S. government personnel, search-and-rescue teams and other agencies involved in the response.
The command added that it will continue working with interim Venezuelan authorities to coordinate relief operations.
Five C-17 aircraft are carrying aviation specialists to help Venezuelan authorities inspect airports, assess damage and safely restore air traffic. The team joins personnel already working to repair airfields damaged by the earthquakes.
Additional urban search-and-rescue teams from Florida are also joining a State Department-led rescue team that arrived from Northern Virginia shortly after the disaster.
Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey aircraft are providing transport support alongside U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters and a UH-1Y Super Huey helicopter aboard USS Fort Lauderdale. SOUTHCOM also said U.S. Space Force satellites are being used to assess damage across the affected regions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said search-and-rescue operations remain the top priority.
“The most immediate need, the one they need right now, is search and rescue,” Rubio told reporters, adding that people trapped under collapsed buildings must be reached within the first 48 hours to improve their chances of survival.
Marine Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Jarrard arrived in Caracas on Thursday to coordinate SOUTHCOM’s military support on the ground.
La Guaira Port Reopens for Relief Supplies
USS Fort Lauderdale arrived earlier this week at the Port of La Guaira, where it is supporting relief operations by providing extra medical facilities and serving as a communications and aid distribution hub.
La Guaira, one of Venezuela’s two main ports, was temporarily closed after the earthquakes but has now reopened following repair work carried out with the help of about 130 U.S. Marines, local authorities and the U.S. State Department.
SOUTHCOM said the port is now operational and USS Fort Lauderdale is using it to unload urgently needed supplies and equipment. However, officials have not said when the port will reopen to commercial shipping.
USS Billings has also joined the mission to provide additional helicopter support.
US Increases Aid
The U.S. State Department said Washington has increased its humanitarian assistance for Venezuela to more than $300 million, up from an earlier pledge of $150 million.
The funding will provide emergency medical care, food, clean water, sanitation, shelter, protection and logistics through organizations including Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Red Cross.
The United States has also deployed four urban search-and-rescue teams made up of more than 300 first responders and nearly two dozen search dogs.
Death Toll Continues to Rise
The number of casualties continues to change as rescue efforts continue.
Venezuelan officials said on Sunday that at least 1,430 people had died, while later figures cited by the United Nations said the death toll had risen to at least 1,700, with more than 5,000 people injured.
The number of missing people also remains unclear. The government says the figure is in the hundreds, while other groups estimate that tens of thousands are still missing.
Separate reports said the official death toll could be an undercount because local morgues are still processing victims. The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the final death toll could exceed 10,000.
The worst damage is around the Yumare region west of Caracas, where the earthquakes destroyed buildings and badly damaged infrastructure. Magnitude 4 aftershocks have continued to affect rescue operations.
Researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University used European Space Agency Sentinel-1 radar images collected on June 25 to estimate that about 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed. They said the estimate is preliminary and has not yet been confirmed on the ground.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez separately said 855 buildings had been damaged, including 189 that completely collapsed.
Civil engineering experts said images from the affected areas suggest many multi-storey buildings were built with unreinforced concrete and lacked enough steel reinforcement to withstand strong earthquakes.
NASA said its satellites are also helping response teams by providing images and data to assess the damage.
U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz has asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to send either the USNS Comfort or USNS Mercy to Venezuela.
In a letter, Moskowitz said the Navy’s hospital ships could provide surgery, emergency treatment, intensive care and other medical services for the thousands of people injured in the disaster. He also noted that USNS Comfort provided similar support after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
He said any deployment would require coordination with the Venezuelan government, international humanitarian organizations and regional partners.
References: USNI, Moskowitz
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The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.