After weeks of fighting for humanitarian assistance to Venezuela, the Red Cross has distributed first relief supplies in the South American crisis country. Humanitarian workers brought drinking water and water purification tablets to various parts of Caracas capital.
Previously, a plane with drugs and power generators landed on the airport of Caracas, as the Red Cross announced via Twitter. The cargo flown in from Panama is part of an increase of nearly three times the amount of humanitarian assistance to Venezuela – to almost $ 25 million (about 22 million euros). This was decided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) a few days ago.
Guaidó criticizes Maduro
„Today is a day of success for all Venezuelans and a great defeat for the usurper,“ said self-proclaimed Transitional President Juan Guaidó to the head of state Nicolás Maduro. „Humanitarian aid has arrived because we have all fought like a united people and now we need to make sure it reaches those who need it most and not be abused for blackmail.“
Guaidó and Maduro have been fighting a bitter power struggle since January. Although many states have recognized Guaidó as the rightful transitional president, in Venezuela he has not yet been able to harm Maduro. Above all, the powerful military continues to be loyal to the socialist head of state. Guaidó calls for democratic elections.
Independence and neutrality
„We ask everyone to avoid the politicization of this great success“, said the chairman of the Red Cross in Venezuela, Mario Villarroel. The planned extradition to 28 Venezuelan hospitals will be based on the principles of independence and neutrality.
The ICRC recently signed an agreement with Venezuela’s Ministry of Health to provide emergency care for the people.
Many people are starving
Venezuela is experiencing a severe political and economic crisis that has brought the health system, food supplies and electricity to the brink of collapse. President Maduro has declared days off for the entire Easter week to repair the damaged electricity grids.
Since the beginning of March, people in Venezuela have suffered from widespread power outages. Due to a lack of foreign exchange, the once rich country can barely bring in food, medicines and everyday necessities. Many people are starving and children are dying in hospitals.
According to the United Nations, nearly a quarter of the 30 million Venezuelans need urgent help. According to a UN report, 3.7 million people are malnourished and at least 22 percent of children under the age of five are chronically malnourished. President Maduro had long denied that the situation in his country could be described as a humanitarian crisis. The population of the oil-rich country has suffered for years from the consequences of mismanagement.
Over three million Venezuelans have already left their homeland. Opposition leader Guaidó had tried in February to bring relief supplies from neighboring Colombia to Venezuela. However, the security forces stopped the trucks at Maduro’s behest at the border.
