India launches ‘Op Amistad’ to aid quake-hit Venezuela; sends relief material, medical assistance

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 27, 2026 05:18 am IST - New Delhi In this image posted on June 26, 2026, a 41-member team of the Indian Army, from the 60 Para Field Hospital, including nine medical officers, being deployed in Venezuela to support humanitarian relief efforts as part of 'Operation Amistad', in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquakes in the South American country that killed around 920 people and left at least 3,360 people injured. Photo: @adgpi/X via PTI Photo Under the 'Operation Amistad', launched by India to offer humanitarian assistance to quake-hit Venezuela, two IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying relief supplies and a 41-member rescue team departed on Friday to assist the ongoing relief and rescue efforts in that country. "India stands shoulder to shoulder with the government and the people of Venezuela during this difficult period," the Ministry of External Affairs said. Editorial |Tragic evening: On the earthquake in Venezuela In a gesture of solidarity with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, India has launched Operation Amistad, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) mission, in response to the devastating earthquake that has caused extensive loss of life, injuries and widespread destruction. "Operation Amistad underway! Two @IAF_MCC C17s took-off today for Venezuela with urgent assistance to support their post-earthquake relief efforts. The assistance contains an Indian Army @adgpi Field Hospital Unit and over 35 tons of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment, including two BHISHM cubes. India is committed to supporting the government and people of Venezuela in this difficult time," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X. The MEA said in its statement on Friday (June 26, 2026) that as part of the operation, two C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force departed for Venezuela on June 26 morning, carrying humanitarian relief supplies and a 41-member rescue team to assist the ongoing relief and rescue efforts. "The relief consignment included a self-reliant Indian medical task force, an Indian Army Field Hospital unit with HADR pallets and medicines, 30 tons of relief supplies, six tons of medicines and medical equipment and two BHISHM cube portable hospitals," it said. The 41-member team, comprising experienced rescue personnel and medical professionals, will work closely with the Venezuelan authorities in search and rescue operations, emergency medical care and humanitarian relief efforts in the affected areas. "India stands shoulder to shoulder with the government and the people of Venezuela during this difficult period. The government of India extends its heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured. India will remain in close coordination with the government of Venezuela and stands ready to provide further assistance as may be required," it said. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Wednesday (June 24, 2026) evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region. The death toll from two powerful quakes in Venezuela rose to 920, with 3,360 injured, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said early Friday (June 26, 2026). The number of casualties may climb, with thousands reported missing. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

India launches ‘Op Amistad’ to aid quake-hit Venezuela; sends relief material, medical assistance

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India launches ‘Op Amistad’ to aid quake-hit Venezuela; sends relief material, medical assistance

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