China will send 100 million yuan ($14.7 million) in disaster relief aid to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes killed more than 1,450 people, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
The Chinese government will provide Venezuela with “emergency free relief supplies… to support earthquake relief and post-disaster reconstruction”, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference.
The supplies will be delivered “as soon as possible”, while Beijing also provides Caracas with satellite images of affected areas to assist in rescue efforts, Guo said.
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“China stands ready to provide further support for Venezuela as the situation evolves,” he said.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday, saying that China would provide disaster relief and reconstruction assistance.
Eight Chinese nationals have been confirmed dead following the quakes, while one remains missing, Chinese state media reported on Monday.
Economic impact
Twenty-four nations have sent 521 tons of supplies, 86 units with dogs trained to locate people trapped beneath the rubble and more than 2,700 search-and-rescue personnel, according to Rodriguez.
US helicopters ferried in aid, and 230 more US military personnel were arriving to help expand airport capacity and reopen a key seaport to boost relief efforts, the US Southern Command said.
The United States — which captured Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro in a military raid on Caracas in January — had already sent a 250-strong disaster response team.
The UN migration agency said that based on population and damage data, up to 6.76 million people could be affected, and would require shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and essential relief items.
Venezuela’s worst earthquakes in more than a century have come after the oil-rich country endured more than a decade of economic collapse.
The crisis has hollowed out hospitals and public services, driving millions to leave the country.
The United Nations estimated $6.7 billion in physical damage — equivalent to six percent of Venezuela’s GDP.
