Samaritan’s Purse is responding in Venezuela after deadly back-to-back earthquakes rocked the nation. Disaster response specialists are on the way and the ministry’s 767 cargo plane will airlift life-saving supplies to the Latin American country tomorrow morning, including an Emergency Field Hospital.
More than 500 people are dead and 3,000 are injured (see update) . As search and rescue efforts continue these numbers are expected to rise significantly in the coming days. The international Christian relief organization’s Emergency Field Hospital is capable of treating more than 100 people each day. It will be equipped with multiple operating rooms, a critical care unit, pharmacy and laboratory. Samaritan’s Purse is also airlifting emergency shelter material, solar lights, and blankets to provide relief to families who are suffering.
“This is going to be a long-term effort. I think we’re only just beginning to understand the full extent of the destruction in Caracas and La Guaira. Multiple hospitals are damaged or overwhelmed, roads have been split wide open, and hundreds of buildings have collapsed. People are living on the streets—terrified of aftershocks. They need our prayers,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “It’s heartbreaking to see the suffering and loss. We love the people of this country, and we want to do all that we can to help in Jesus’ Name.”
The N.C.- based organization is already planning future airlifts to Venezuela on the 767 to deliver water filtration systems, hygiene kits, additional medical supplies to support the Emergency Field Hospital, and other life-saving supplies.
ABOUT SAMARITAN'S PURSE
Based in Boone, North Carolina, Samaritan's Purse is an international Christian relief organization that responds to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in the aftermath of disasters and crisis situations— both in the U.S. and around the world. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disaster, disease, poverty, famine, and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.
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