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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Disasters & Emergencies

Amazon to Establish Air Bridge for Humanitarian Aid to Venezuela

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Amazon will establish an air bridge to transport humanitarian aid to Venezuela, aiming to assist over 650,000 people affected by recent earthquakes.
  • The initiative, in coordination with the U.S. government, will involve seven weekly flights funded by Amazon to deliver medical supplies and shelter materials.
  • This air bridge is designed to prevent logistical bottlenecks and ensure rapid distribution of aid to those most in need, bypassing potential issues with unsolicited donations.

Amazon announced it will create an air bridge to Venezuela to deliver humanitarian aid, a move coordinated with the U.S. government. The tech giant estimates over 650,000 people need urgent assistance following a recent earthquake. The company will cover all flight and fuel costs for seven weekly trips.

The air bridge will channel supplies to trusted non-profit organizations operating on the ground in Venezuela so they can use them immediately to serve the most affected people. When more than 6 million people are affected and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, getting supplies to people quickly is not just a great help, it is fundamental.

— Bettina StixAmazon's Director of Community Impact, highlighting the strategic value of the operation.

The operation is supported by the U.S. State Department, the Airlink association, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Bettina Stix, Amazon's Director of Community Impact, highlighted the logistical importance of the air bridge. "The air bridge will channel supplies to trusted non-profit organizations operating on the ground in Venezuela so they can use them immediately to serve the most affected people," Stix stated. She emphasized that getting supplies to people quickly is "fundamental" when entire neighborhoods are reduced to rubble.

The need on the ground in Venezuela is immense.

— Stephanie HochstetterDirector of the World Food Programme in Venezuela, detailing that her staff will coordinate the storage and distribution of supplies.

This initiative aims to prevent a "bottleneck" and the "second disaster" phenomenon, where unsolicited donations overwhelm terminals and divert resources from priority needs. The announcement coincides with Venezuelan government plans to reopen commercial flights at Maiquetía International Airport, which sustained damage in the earthquakes. International agencies will manage ground operations due to compromised local transport. "The need on the ground in Venezuela is immense," warned Stephanie Hochstetter, WFP's country director, noting her staff will coordinate storage and distribution. U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott affirmed the alliance will "help ensure vital assistance reaches Venezuela as quickly as possible."

This will help ensure that vital assistance reaches Venezuela as quickly as possible.

— Tommy PigottU.S. State Department spokesperson, endorsing the alliance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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