88 containers of Guyana-Caricom-relied aid shipped to earthquake-hit Venezuela

Guyana and several Caricom Member States dispatched a ship carrying 88 containers of humanitarian relief supplies to earthquake-hit Venezuela on Tuesday.
The vessel departed from the BK Wharf at Kingston, Georgetown, under the supervision of Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who acted on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali.
The shipment includes food items, medical supplies and other essential equipment, along with 300 black water storage tanks and two pieces of heavy earth-moving equipment. The relief supplies were contributed by the Governments of Guyana, Belize, the Bahamas, St Lucia, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the local Private Sector, civil society organisations, citizens, and members of the Venezuelan community in Guyana.
Addressing those gathered before the vessel departed, Dr Singh said that the June 24 earthquake had caused widespread destruction, significant loss of life, and injuries across Venezuela.

He noted that immediately after the disaster, President Ali conveyed condolences to the Venezuelan people and mobilised a national and regional humanitarian response.
“Today’s [Tuesday] shipment is the result of that effort,” Dr Singh said, adding that the initiative received support from the Guyanese Government, the Private Sector, citizens, Venezuelans living in Guyana, and several Caricom Heads of Government.
He said the shipment reflects not only Guyana’s contributions but also the collective support of participating Caricom member states.
On behalf of President Ali, Dr Singh thanked the seven Caricom countries that contributed to the relief effort, as well as Guyanese businesses, citizens and members of the Venezuelan community in Guyana for their donations.
“Venezuela is our neighbour, the Venezuelan people are our neighbours, and so we consider this to be the least that we could do as a country in this moment of tragedy in support of our Venezuelan brothers and sisters,” he said.
The vessel is expected to arrive in Venezuela within four days.
Dr Singh also noted that the shipment is part of a wider international humanitarian response. He said the Government remains in close contact with United States counterparts who are already on the ground in Venezuela.
According to the Minister, the relief supplies will be handed over to the US humanitarian team for consolidation with the broader international response before being distributed to those affected.
On June 24, the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes caused extensive damage in parts of Venezuela near the country’s capital.
Based on the latest reports coming out of Caracas, more than 3685 persons have died and another 16,740 were injured from last month’s twin quakes, while 17,907 are homeless.
Rescuers are still combing through collapsed buildings with the hopes of finding survivors.
Nevertheless, this show of solidarity and support between Guyana and Venezuela comes as the two South American neighbours are embroiled in a decades-long border controversy. The matter is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected to deliver a ruling sometime later this year or early next year.