According to figures released by the Venezuelan authorities, the twin earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 that struck on June 24 claimed nearly 2,000 lives, injured more than 10,500 people, and left tens of thousands missing. More than 30 countries have deployed international rescue teams to assist with search and rescue operations and post-disaster recovery efforts.
Against this backdrop, Viet Nam's rescue contingent, comprising 124 officers and personnel from the Viet Nam People's Army and the People's Public Security Force, was rapidly deployed. The delegation also transported dozens of tons of humanitarian aid, including medical equipment, field tents, generators, and essential relief supplies.
According to Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, in La Guaira State - the area hardest hit by the earthquake, Vietnamese search and rescue personnel have maintained an intensive operational pace at disaster sites. To maximize search efficiency, the team has been divided into multiple units operating simultaneously in areas where survivors may still be trapped. Most of the affected sites consist of completely collapsed high-rise buildings, where massive concrete slabs remain piled atop one another, posing the constant risk of secondary collapses and making access to victims extremely challenging.
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| Viet Nam's rescue team searches for traces of victims amid the rubble. (Photo: Ministry of National Defence) |
Whenever reports suggest possible signs of life beneath the debris, personnel from the Viet Nam People's Army immediately mobilize manpower, equipment, and search-and-rescue dogs to the scene. Officers and soldiers work tirelessly to clear access routes and remove large concrete slabs in an effort to reach suspected victim locations. Thanks to these persistent efforts, the team has so far recovered a total of 45 victims' bodies from collapsed buildings, contributing to Venezuela's disaster response and recovery operations.
Alongside search operations, the working delegation from Viet Nam's Ministry of Public Security has worked closely with international rescue forces. The team's medical unit has continued disinfecting areas where search operations have been completed, sanitizing equipment and personnel involved in rescue efforts while helping prevent the outbreak of disease in the aftermath of the disaster.
Amid scenes of families forced to live in makeshift roadside shelters after losing their homes, members of the Vietnamese rescue team have also shared part of their own food rations and essential supplies with local residents. The delegation has directly distributed relief packages containing compressed emergency rations, bottled drinking water, essential medicines, blankets, warm clothing, and other daily necessities to severely affected households. Though modest in material value, these donations reflect Viet Nam's spirit of solidarity and compassion, offering encouragement to the Venezuelan people as they recover from the disaster.
The efforts of Viet Nam's rescue team have been acknowledged and highly appreciated by the Venezuelan authorities. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez personally visited the Vietnamese contingent's base camp to extend her greetings, offer encouragement, and present a letter of appreciation. On the occasion, she also awarded the Order of Merit to Viet Nam's search-and-rescue dog unit in recognition of its outstanding contributions to search and rescue operations.
Accepting the honor on behalf of the unit was Xu Kip, one of Viet Nam's "special warriors," a search-and-rescue dog that has participated in numerous major rescue missions, including the landslide at Nu Village as well as international deployments to Türkiye and Myanmar. Alongside Xu Kip, other search-and-rescue dogs have continued to demonstrate their effectiveness in detecting victims beneath collapsed structures, providing invaluable support to rescue personnel.
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| Viet Nam's rescue team searches for traces of victims amid the rubble. (Photo: Ministry of National Defence) |
During the mission, the delegation also received encouragement from senior leaders of both countries. Senior Lieutenant General Nayade Solovenly Lockiby Belmontes, Commander-in-Chief of the Venezuelan Militia Forces, visited the disaster site to encourage the Vietnamese officers and personnel carrying out their mission. General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Viet Nam, also sent a letter commending the rescue contingent, recognizing its strong sense of responsibility, professionalism, and dedication throughout the operation.
According to An Ninh Thu Do Newspaper, the activities of Viet Nam's rescue team have also drawn significant attention from international media. Outlets including ABC Color (Paraguay), Asia News Network, and Socialist China, among others, have extensively reported on the Vietnamese contingent's search and rescue operations, medical assistance, and humanitarian relief efforts. Many articles have described Viet Nam as one of the first international rescue teams to arrive in the hardest-hit areas, making a meaningful contribution to the collective international effort to help Venezuela recover from the devastating disaster.
This marks another large-scale international rescue deployment by Viet Nam following its relief missions to Türkiye in 2023 and Myanmar in 2025. Beyond showcasing the steadily improving professional capabilities of Viet Nam's rescue forces, the operation in Venezuela once again demonstrates the country's sense of responsibility, solidarity, and readiness to join the international community in responding to natural disasters.
Source: Vietnamtimes
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