Cologne/Caracas. An emergency team from Malteser International will travel from Germany to Caracas on Saturday aboard a German Armed Forces aircraft to support relief efforts for people affected by Wednesday’s massive earthquake. "Since some airports in Venezuela have been destroyed, the opportunity to reach people as quickly as possible with the support of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is a tremendous help to us," says Jonas Jung, Emergency Relief Coordinator at Malteser International.
"Our partner organizations in Venezuela as well as the Venezuelan Association of the Order of Malta report that the situation is catastrophic. The earthquakes have struck people who have been living in poverty for years. Healthcare provision was already difficult, and medicines are in short supply. Now, there are thousands of injured people, and the healthcare system is completely overwhelmed. Our partners will now begin deploying mobile clinics to reach those in need of help. Our emergency team on the ground will focus primarily on providing healthcare support," says Jung.
Following the severe earthquakes on Wednesday evening, the death toll has risen to over 200, and more than 4,500 people have been injured. Thousands remain missing. Venezuela has been suffering from a prolonged economic crisis for years. Even before the earthquakes, 7.9 million of the country's 23.5 million inhabitants relied on humanitarian aid. Malteser International has been working with local partner organizations in Venezuela for years.
Malteser International’s emergency aid is supported by Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Germany's Relief Coalition).
Attention editors:
Jonas Jung, Emergency Relief Coordinator at Malteser International is available for interviews and soundbites in Venezuela (starting Sunday).
Contact: +49 (0)221 9822-7181, katharina.kiecol@malteser-international.org
Download of photos
Earthquake in Venezuela: Learn more and donate now!
