Ottawa/IBNS-CMEDIA: Canada has announced an initial C$5 million in humanitarian assistance to support emergency relief efforts in Venezuela following devastating earthquakes that have caused widespread destruction and significant loss of life.
The funding, announced on Thursday by Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai, will help trusted humanitarian partners deliver life-saving assistance, including emergency food, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, protection and logistics services to affected communities.
The latest assistance comes in addition to nearly C$4.5 million in humanitarian funding that Canada allocated earlier this year to address ongoing needs in Venezuela.
“The scale of devastation in Venezuela caused by these earthquakes is heartbreaking. Families have lost loved ones, communities have been torn apart, and many people are now facing immense uncertainty and hardship,” Anand said in a statement.
She said Canada remains engaged with regional partners and humanitarian organisations and will continue assessing needs as the situation evolves.
Sarai described the destruction as “heartbreaking” and said Canada’s immediate response is focused on meeting the most urgent humanitarian needs while exploring additional ways to assist those affected.
Global Affairs Canada said the government continues to monitor developments closely and will provide further details on the allocation of the newly announced funding in the coming days.
(Reporting by Suman Das)
