Israeli Home Front Command search-and-rescue personnel climb over the rubble of a collapsed building in La Guaira, Venezuela, during an extended humanitarian mission. Credit: IDF
The Israeli military’s deployment to earthquake-stricken Venezuela has become the longest humanitarian assistance mission ever conducted by the Home Front Command, as teams continue operating into a third week following widespread coastal destruction.
Some 32 Israeli experts remain on the ground in La Guaira, near Caracas, according to Monday’s Israel Defense Forces statement, assisting Venezuelan authorities in shifting from emergency response to long-term rehabilitation.
IDF Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Pinto described “hundreds of buildings” destroyed along the coastline, calling the disaster complex and large in scale. He said Israeli personnel are helping build a national situational assessment, support decision-making, set priorities and lay the groundwork for a recovery expected to take months or years.
The delegation is working in close coordination with local authorities, which Pinto said have been receptive to Israeli recommendations. He noted that the continued presence of the Israeli mission after most international teams have departed adds “significant value” to ongoing efforts.
“I hope that our joint work and the tools we are leaving behind will help Venezuela address the rehabilitation challenge as effectively as possible in the years ahead,” Pinto said.
Source: JNS
