Seoul: The government is contemplating the deployment of a disaster relief team to Venezuela, which has recently been struck by a series of powerful earthquakes, in addition to an earlier commitment of humanitarian aid, the foreign ministry announced Tuesday. Park Il, the ministry's spokesperson, stated that the government is "closely monitoring" the situation in Venezuela as it considers sending the team.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the devastating earthquakes have resulted in at least 1,719 fatalities, approximately 5,000 injuries, and the displacement of around 12,000 individuals, as reported by Venezuelan authorities. Over the weekend, the Venezuelan government requested that other nations delay sending medical teams, citing that emergency medical care for the victims was nearly complete, and the focus was now on reconstructing damaged infrastructure.
Park Il noted that in previous international disasters, the government typically dispatched medical assistance teams rather than rescue units, due to the long distances involved and the limited time frame for life-saving rescue operations. On Friday, South Korea's foreign ministry announced a commitment of US$5 million in humanitarian aid to Venezuela through international organizations.
The foreign ministry also mentioned that there have been no reports of casualties among Korean nationals in Venezuela. However, damage was reported to an apartment unit, the Korean Embassy, and the ambassador's residence. The embassy suffered the most damage, and the ambassador's residence is currently being used as a temporary base for diplomatic operations.