Guyana mobilising 8000-tonne vessel with humanitarian aid for Venezuela – Pres Ali

– GDF troops to be deployed to devastated areas in Caracas

The Guyanese Government is organising a massive donation drive to mobilise humanitarian aid for the people of Venezuela following Wednesday’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that have devastated the neighbouring country’s capital.
Based on reports coming out of Caracas on Saturday, at least 1430 person have died, and thousands of others are missing and injured after the twin quakes collapsed houses and other buildings. Speaking at a briefing on Saturday from State House in Georgetown, President Dr Irfaan Ali described the destruction as unimaginable, assuring the Venezuelan people of Guyana’s strong support.
“We are responding to one of the greatest humanitarian needs as a result of a disaster in Venezuela at a scale and magnitude that is unimaginable. As good neighbours, we must reach out… The people of Guyana stand ready to support in whatever capacity we can,” the Guyanese leader stated. According to President Ali, an 8000-tonne vessel has been mobilised to transport the aid to the neighbouring country. The humanitarian aid donation drive will run from June 27 to July 1, 2026, and the drop-off location will be at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

Aid items
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC) will be on-site 24 hours a day at the drop-off location to receive donations and package the items for shipment. Among the items needed are drinking water and non-perishable foods such as canned vegetables, beans, fruit, soup, tuna, chicken, dry pasta, rice, oats, cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable or powdered milk, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, instant noodles, boxed meals, baby food or formula, cooking oil, flour, sugar, salt, spices, tea, coffee and hot chocolate mix.
Personal hygiene items, including soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, nappies and other essential hygiene supplies, are also required.
Additionally, sleeping items such as sleeping mats and/or mattresses, blankets and sheets, as well as flashlights, batteries, solar chargers and cutting equipment, are needed. It was noted that all donated items should be unopened, unexpired and in good condition. Moreover, easy-to-prepare foods and pop-top cans are especially encouraged.
Already, five containers of critically needed pharmaceutical items have been procured, as well as several containers of food items. However, much more is still required to fill the 8000-tonne vessel that will transport the aid. A second 7000-tonne vessel is also on standby if required. However, Guyana is also coordinating with other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations that are also interested in sending aid to Venezuela. St Vincent and the Grenadines has already mobilised three containers of humanitarian aid for Venezuela. According to President Ali, the aim is to have the vessel depart Guyana on Friday, July 3, 2026, for Venezuela.

GDF deployment
In addition to the humanitarian aid, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces also disclosed on Saturday that a GDF contingent would also be deployed to aid in the recovery efforts as Venezuelan authorities race against time to rescue survivors trapped under collapsed buildings. “We have offered to have a team from the Guyana Defence Force on the ground to help in the recovery efforts in Caracas at this moment,” Ali revealed on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips will be leading and coordinating Guyana’s response and support efforts. Persons interested in making large-scale donations can contact his office, which will be open every day until the close-off time for the donation drive. A flyer is also being circulated online with additional information on this exercise. It was further explained that the vessel would be available by Wednesday to start the loading process.
While members of the public are encouraged to support these efforts, a special appeal is being made to the local private sector. Persons or companies that are interested in making donations of particular items, such as rice or food items, are being asked to coordinate and fill out a container of each category, which would work out to be more economical for shipping purposes.
“This is not an easy task. It’s an intense logistics operation, but we hope to have this done efficiently for our neighbours and the people of Venezuela. We are also a country with a large number of Venezuelan nationals who work here and who live here, and that community, along with the general Guyanese population, would have reached out and is responding in an unbelievable way,” President Ali noted.
On Thursday, President Ali took to social media, stating, “We stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. As neighbours, we are ready to offer assistance within our capacity. Our love, prayers, and thoughts are with the families of those affected and the people of Venezuela.” His message was seen and welcomed by acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, who expressed gratitude to President Ali after he extended solidarity and support following the disaster.
According to the Venezuelan leader, “We would like to thank Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali for his solidarity and his willingness to offer support to the Venezuelan people during these difficult times. His message conveys solidarity, respect and a sense of neighbourliness toward Venezuelans.” 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.