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Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-901002
Israel Dispatches Humanitarian Mission to Venezuela after Earthquakes
(Jerusalem Post) Anna Barsky - An official Israeli aid delegation to Venezuela is being sent after two severe earthquakes struck Caracas, leaving thousands injured and tens of thousands without homes. It will include engineering experts from the Home Front Command. Israeli Ambassador Yoed Magen, who grew up in Venezuela, said Israel built, within days, a coordination mechanism with a country where it has no embassy. "When there are floods, earthquakes, or any other disaster in the world, this comes naturally to the Israeli system. The immediate thought is: How can we help? This is already built into the DNA of the Foreign Ministry and other parts of the Israeli system." "The team of experts is composed mainly of engineers who will be able to examine, analyze, and provide professional assessments of damaged buildings: which are designated for demolition, which can be rehabilitated, and which can allow families to return immediately." "This is a very important mission because the Venezuelans have defined the treatment of the homeless as their central problem right now. If an Israeli team arrives at a damaged building and determines that, despite the damage, people can enter it, live in it, or rehabilitate it without immediate danger, that will significantly ease the burden on the Venezuelans." "We will also provide assistance to the Jewish community there, which is in distress. There are about 20 families that lost their homes, three people were killed, and I believe there are also three missing. We will assist them as much as we can." "Our presence sends a very important message, to Venezuela, to Latin America, and to the whole world: Israel, regardless of its diplomatic relations or the ties it has with a given country, shows up when an event like this occurs."