An Israeli search and rescue delegation has arrived in Venezuela to assist with recovery efforts following multiple deadly earthquakes that struck the South American country last week.
The team includes 16 rescue personnel along with professionals from Magen David Adom, Israel’s Disaster & Emergency Management Company, the Ready for Rescue non-profit, and SmartAID.
Upon landing in Valencia, the delegation began coordinating with local forces to locate survivors and provide humanitarian assistance where possible.
International aid efforts are intensifying, with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas speaking to Venezuelan officials on Sunday. The EU has allocated approximately €5 million in emergency assistance for affected communities.
Kallas said on social media, “I expressed the EU’s full solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our deepest condolences to families who have lost loved ones.”
A fundraising campaign launched with a $2 million goal has raised $176,000 by Sunday evening to support Jewish families impacted by the earthquake.
Approximately 80 Jewish families have lost their homes, and another 200 remain unable to return due to ongoing concerns, according to members of Caracas’s Jewish community.
Community representatives note the situation requires increased external support due to a significant population decline—from 20,000 to 3,000 people over recent years—reducing the capacity for local assistance.
Community leaders, professionals, and volunteers are operating around the clock to address growing emergency needs following the disaster.
The community issued an appeal stating, “We need you. Every donation could mean the difference between life and death.”
