Venezuela earthquake: Malteser team from Germany flies to the crisis region

Cologne/Caracas. An emergency relief team from Malteser International will travel from Wunstorf in Lower Saxony to Caracas on Saturday aboard a German Air Force plane to support aid workers in the affected areas. "Since several airports in Venezuela have been destroyed, it's a fantastic opportunity for us to reach people as quickly as possible with the support of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW)," says Jonas Jung, emergency relief coordinator at Malteser International.

“Our partner organizations in Venezuela report that the situation is catastrophic. The earthquakes have affected people who have been living in poverty for years. Healthcare was already difficult to access, and medicines are scarce. Now there are thousands injured, and the healthcare system is completely overwhelmed. Our partners will now begin deploying mobile clinics to reach those who need help. Our emergency relief team on the ground will primarily support people in the healthcare sector,” reports Jung.

Following the devastating earthquakes on Wednesday evening, the death toll has risen to over 200, with more than 4.500 people injured. Thousands are still missing. Venezuela has been suffering from a prolonged economic crisis for many years. Even before the quakes, 7,9 million of the country's 23,5 million inhabitants were in need of humanitarian aid. Malteser International has been working with local partner organizations in Venezuela for many years.

Jonas Jung, emergency relief coordinator at Malteser International, is in Venezuela (available for interviews and sound bites)..
Contact person: Katharina Kiecol, +49 (0)221 9822-7181

People in the earthquake zone are in urgent need of donations:

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Maltese Relief Service e. V.
IBAN: DE10 3706 0120 1201 2000 12
SWIFT: GENODED 1PA7
Keyword: “Earthquake Venezuela”

The Order of Malta is a member of the alliance Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Action Germany Helps).
Donation keyword: “Earthquake Venezuela”
IBAN: DE62 3702 0500 0000 1020 30 (SozialBank)