THE Irish Government has committed to sending €1m in aid to Venezuela after it was hit by two devastating earthquakes.
Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee confirmed the relief package this week, in the wake of twin earthquakes which tore through the South American country on June 24.
More than 1700 people have died as a result of the incident, with thousands more injured, and rescue workers continue to search for survivors in the rubble of homes and buildings destroyed by the incident.
Ireland’s funding will be administered via the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to provide physical and psychological first aid, conduct damage assessments and provide ongoing medical support.
“The earthquakes have devastated people’s homes and critical infrastructure, including hospitals,” Minister McEntee said this week.
“It is vital that efforts to get medical care to injured people are supported.
“There is a significant international response underway to help survivors,” she explained.
“Ireland’s contribution will help the IFRC to reach 300,000 people with medical and other humanitarian support.
“This support will be directed to people who have lost their homes and those who require urgent medical care,” she added.
Ireland’s Diaspora Minister Neale Richmond described the scenes in Venezuela as “heart-breaking”.
“People are in need of urgent medical care in a situation where hospitals and critical infrastructure has been badly damaged,” he said.
“People in the affected areas will have to rebuild their homes and lives, while grieving for loved ones.
“Ireland’s support will help to ensure people receive vital aid at a time when their lives have been shattered.”
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