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AMMAN — Jordan will dispatch on Thursday two aircraft carrying medical and humanitarian aid to Venezuela following the twin earthquakes that struck the country, according to the public service broadcaster Al Mamlaka.
The shipment includes medical supplies, food, and equipment for rescue teams working in Venezuela to support ongoing search and rescue operations, Al Mamlaka TV said.
The aid follows Jordan's deployment last Friday of a 100-member international search and rescue team, along with specialized medical personnel, to assist the international response to the disaster.
The search and rescue team, operated by Jordan's Civil Defense, comprises specialists trained in disaster response, search and rescue, and field support. The team is equipped with advanced equipment and technology to operate in earthquake-affected areas in line with international standards.
The relief mission also includes medical staff from the Royal Medical Services, who are providing treatment and healthcare to people injured in the earthquakes.
The assistance was sent under royal directives as part of Jordan's humanitarian efforts to support countries affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises and to contribute to the international emergency response.
Jordan is also expected to deploy a field hospital in the coming days to provide medical care for the wounded and deliver additional medical and humanitarian supplies.
Tens of thousands of people urgently need food and shelter in Venezuela due to the devastation from two huge earthquakes that killed more than 1,700 and injured 5,000, the UN said on Tuesday, as doctors warned of potential outbreaks of disease.
Last week's 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes -- the strongest to hit the country in more than a century -- have left tens of thousands unaccounted for and prompted a frantic search and rescue operation for survivors trapped in the rubble of flattened buildings.
The UN refugee agency said "food shortages are widespread, basic services have broken down, and connectivity has been largely severed" in the port city of La Guaira, north of the capital, Caracas.
"Community tensions are rising as access to assistance remains constrained," UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Wolf said.
The agency said it needed some $14.85 million to scale-up protection, core relief items and temporary shelter for 30,000 earthquake-affected people over six months.
The quakes likely damaged or destroyed 58,870 buildings, according to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by NASA.
World Health Organisation spokesman Christian Lindmeier said health services in Venezuela were overstretched and under "extreme pressure" due to demand.
