UK sends a 68-strong search and rescue team and £2 million in aid to Venezuela
Key takeaways
- The contingent, composed of firefighters and specialists from fourteen UK fire and rescue services and led by Merseyside, is carrying drones able to safely assess structural collapses and identify hazards.
- Experts from the UK's Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT) also traveled to Venezuela to assess urgent health needs, an analysis that will inform any further medical deployment.
- The British contribution adds to a broad international mobilization.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The United Kingdom on Friday deployed a specialist search and rescue team of 68 people and announced an initial 2 million (about $2.7 million) in humanitarian funding to support the response to the earthquakes that devastated north-central Venezuela, where the latest official toll exceeds 580 dead and 2,900 injured.
The UK's International Search and Rescue team (UK ISAR), made up of 68 personnel and six specialist dogs, departed from RAF Brize Norton on a Royal Air Force aircraft to assist in locating and rescuing people trapped in the rubble. The contingent, composed of firefighters and specialists from fourteen UK fire and rescue services and led by Merseyside, is carrying drones able to safely assess structural collapses and identify hazards. Members of the UK's humanitarian field team, including logistics, aid and security specialists, traveled on the same flight.
My thoughts are with the people of Venezuela following this week's devastating earthquakes, said the UK's caretaker Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who stepped down as Labour Party leader on June 22 and remains in office until a successor is chosen. The UK stands in solidarity with all those affected, particularly those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, he added, noting that the country is working with international partners to ensure support reaches those in need as quickly as possible.