On July 12 (local time), according to TASS, Russia deployed a humanitarian flight, transporting 22 tons of relief goods to Venezuela to support the South American nation in overcoming the consequences of the strong earthquake that occurred at the end of June, killing thousands of people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the aid operation was carried out under the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian rescue forces have transferred 22 tons of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, including food, tents, technical equipment and life necessities," the agency said.
The strong earthquakes that occurred on the evening of June 24 have become one of the most serious natural disasters in Venezuela in recent years.
According to information from Venezuelan officials, in just 40 seconds, the country suffered two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, with the epicenter located in Yaracuy state and about 10km apart.
After two major earthquakes, seismic agencies recorded an additional 1,202 aftershocks, seriously affecting many residential areas and infrastructure.
As of July 11, official figures show 4,333 people have died, while 16,740 have been injured.
The disaster also left 17,907 people homeless, forced to evacuate to temporary residence areas.
A report by the Venezuelan government said that 190 structures were completely destroyed, while 856 other structures were seriously damaged, increasing pressure on rescue and reconstruction work.
Rescue forces have successfully rescued 6,462 people from affected areas.
Currently, 18,437 people are being arranged in 94 temporary tents, while functional agencies have distributed about 9,766 tons of food to people affected by natural disasters.
Russia's aid deployment is seen as part of international support efforts for Venezuela in the context that this country is facing a humanitarian crisis after the earthquake disaster.
Venezuelan officials said that search and rescue, support for people and post-disaster recovery are still underway, and called on the international community to continue to support to help the country stabilize the situation soon after the natural disaster.
