WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch Ministry of Defense has expanded its humanitarian support for earthquake-stricken Venezuela by launching airlift operations from the Caribbean in addition to deploying a naval vessel to assist with relief efforts.
According to the ministry, a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard aircraft is transporting emergency personnel and humanitarian supplies from islands across the Caribbean to Venezuela, where aid remains urgently needed following the devastating earthquakes.
The air operations complement the deployment of a Dutch naval station ship, which is also supporting the international humanitarian response.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are assisting in the coordination of U.S.-led emergency relief operations from Curaçao International Airport (Hato). The airport has become an important logistics hub for humanitarian flights carrying rescue teams, medical personnel and emergency supplies to the affected areas.
The Netherlands' contribution forms part of a broader international relief effort involving regional governments and partner nations working to deliver aid as quickly as possible to communities devastated by the disaster.
"Together, we are committed to ensuring that assistance reaches the right locations as quickly as possible," the Ministry of Defense said.
Curaçao has emerged as a key staging point for the international response due to its proximity to Venezuela, with local authorities, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United States and humanitarian organizations coordinating the movement of relief supplies and personnel through the island.