Who is flying aid to Venezuela?

Humanitarian airlift operations are expanding to support Venezuela after recent earthquakes, with LATAM, Avianca, Vietnam Airlines, Samaritan’s Purse and the European Union among those moving emergency aid, rescue teams and medical supplies. Confirmed flights include freighter, passenger and special relief operations carrying field hospital equipment, water and sanitation systems, food supplies, search-and-rescue equipment and other critical cargo. Regional airports, including Aruba Airport, are also supporting the response as humanitarian logistics networks mobilise air cargo capacity for affected communities. Humanitarian air cargo operations are being mobilised to support Venezuela after two earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday 24 June. The scale of the disaster has continued to rise, with latest reports putting the confirmed death toll at more than 1,900 and tens of thousands of people still missing. Humanitarian agencies are preparing for the possibility of a much higher casualty figure, as damaged hospitals, overwhelmed morgues and widespread destruction increase pressure on international relief operations. LATAM has become one of the first confirmed airline groups flying aid into the country, coordinating two freighter flights to carry approximately 100 tons of humanitarian cargo from Bogotá, Colombia, to Caracas, Venezuela. The flights are taking place between Saturday 27 June and Tuesday 30 June and form part of LATAM’s Solidarity Plane programme, which provides passenger and air cargo capacity free of charge for health, environmental and emergency response causes in the countries where the group operates. The cargo includes equipment to set up a field hospital, water and sanitation systems, support equipment, power generators and critical medical supplies. LATAM said the medical cargo includes hospital beds, triage equipment and personal protective equipment to support emergency response efforts. LATAM also organised a special Bogotá-Caracas passenger flight on 27 June, transporting more than 170 passengers free of charge. Those on board included firefighters, rescue personnel, medical teams, emergency response specialists and representatives from Colombian foundations supporting relief efforts for affected communities. The initiative was coordinated through the Solidarity Plane programme, which makes LATAM Group’s connectivity and logistics capacity available to organisations and institutions during emergencies and natural disasters in South America. Since 2021, the programme has transported 23,000 passengers and more than 9,000 tons of cargo. It has also established more than 50 partnerships with social organisations, foundations and government entities in Chile, Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. EU prepares 50-tonne air bridge The European Union is also organising a humanitarian air bridge to transport essential supplies to affected areas in Venezuela. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations said a flight was scheduled to leave from Copenhagen early this week with around 50 tonnes of shelter material, water and sanitation equipment and education supplies. The EU is also providing €5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to support the most affected communities, with funding focused on shelter and healthcare. The new assistance comes on top of €52 million already allocated this year to respond to the humanitarian consequences of Venezuela’s socio-economic crisis. The Commission said it had received offers from 11 EU Member States and one Participating State through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, including search and rescue teams, medical teams and telecommunication support. A team of 11 technical experts from Spain, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Estonia and the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre arrived in Venezuela over the weekend to support operations on the ground, alongside a further team of experts provided by Italy. In total, 14 EU countries have contributed search and rescue teams, medical teams, telecommunication support or technical expertise so far, according to the Commission. Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said: “The EU remains committed to helping the Venezuelan people, and we are doing so with all the tools at our disposal. “This additional funding and supplies will provide much needed help to families who lost their homes, patients in need of medical assistance or children whose schools have been damaged. EU Member States continue to show remarkable solidarity, with up to 14 EU countries already contributing to this relief operation, and the European Union coordinating and transporting the aid, in a true Team Europe spirit.” Avianca and the Government of El Salvador have also launched a three-flight humanitarian airlift to Venezuela, deploying rescue personnel, emergency equipment and relief supplies after the earthquakes. The operation includ