Belgium sends shelter supplies and experts to earthquake-hit Venezuela
Belgium is responding to the international call for aid following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela through B-FAST, its rapid intervention mechanism for emergency assistance abroad. The country is offering its expertise and dispatching shelter supplies, the FPS Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday.
Belgium is joining the international effort by sending basic shelter materials, including tents. The operation is being carried out in close cooperation with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which will provide transport for the goods. Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation minister Maxime Prevot thanked his Luxembourg counterpart, Xavier Bettel, for the smooth collaboration.
This initial donation may be followed by further shipments, in coordination with other European countries taking part in the international relief effort.
Crisis experts deployed on the ground
Belgium has also offered to make crisis management specialists available. The first Belgian expert arrived in Venezuela on Saturday to support the response being coordinated by the European Commission.
The earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck Venezuela on 24 June. The death toll has already reached 920, with more than 4,300 people injured, over 50,000 reported missing and tens of thousands forced to flee their homes. A state of emergency has been declared in view of the scale of the disaster.
B-FAST is a federal government initiative activated for emergency aid abroad. B-FAST operations are typically activated following an official request for assistance and carried out through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Past missions have included Türkiye after the 2023 earthquakes, Madagascar following cyclones earlier this year, and the Gaza Strip for patient evacuations.
PHOTO © Federico PARRA / AFP
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