The United Kingdom is escalating its humanitarian response to Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the nation on 24 June, causing widespread destruction. An additional £3.8 million in emergency funding has been mobilised, bringing the total UK commitment to £5.8 million. This funding is aimed at supporting life-saving efforts and providing urgent humanitarian assistance to those affected.
Alongside the financial aid, the UK is deploying its Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT) to deliver critical healthcare services. Following an invitation from the Venezuelan Ministry of Health, the team will establish a fully equipped field hospital in one of the most severely impacted areas. This self-sufficient facility will include its own infrastructure, medicines, and supplies, with the capacity to treat up to 100 outpatients daily.
The field hospital will focus on addressing urgent primary healthcare needs, including managing chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart conditions that require continuous care, as well as treating minor injuries and providing rehabilitation support. Crucially, it will also deliver vital maternal, newborn, and child healthcare services, including a 20-bed ward for short-stay inpatient care and basic emergency maternal and newborn care to support safe deliveries and manage common complications. This deployment follows a rapid UK assessment that highlighted overwhelmed local hospitals and severely disrupted access to essential healthcare, particularly primary and maternal care.
Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Chris Elmore, emphasised the scale of the disaster, stating, "The scale of destruction caused by these earthquakes is devastating, and the UK is stepping up support for the people of Venezuela." He added that the UK stands with those affected and remains committed to helping save lives and supporting recovery in the weeks ahead. The UK EMT, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and delivered by UK-Med, a Manchester-based humanitarian medical charity, brings experience from previous major global emergencies, including the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and the conflict in Gaza.
In addition to direct government funding and medical aid, the UK has also matched £2 million in donations made by the British public to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal. This match-funding helps trusted UK charities provide essential supplies such as food, shelter, and other vital support to those most in need in Venezuela.