Brussels – The European Union has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, which uses the European satellites of the same name to monitor the ground in the event of natural disasters, to provide assistance to Venezuela, which was struck during the night in Europe by two violent earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, less than a minute apart. According to the latest reports, there are currently over 160 fatalities and 35,848 people still missing. “In these difficult hours, our thoughts are with the Venezuelan people,” commented in a post on X the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, adding that Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal are sending search and rescue teams to the country. “We stand ready to offer further help, including medical assistance,” she added.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, and the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, have expressed, on behalf of the EU, their “condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the devastating earthquakes that have struck Venezuela” and “the EU’s solidarity, at this difficult time, with the Venezuelan people and all those engaged in rescue and relief operations.” The three members of the EU College noted that “these earthquakes have occurred at a time when millions of Venezuelans continue to face severe humanitarian needs” and emphasised that “the European Union is in contact with the authorities and stands ready to support emergency response efforts,
while already working with partners to assess urgent humanitarian needs as more information becomes available.”
