Thursday 23 / July / 2026
Caracas: India's humanitarian relief effort in quake-hit Venezuela has been a subject of major acclaim, Indian Embassy in Caracas said.
The Ministry of External Affairs also noted that care brings hope as India continues to serve Venezuelans with deicated medical attention.
In a post on X, the Embassy said, "Operation Amistad- India's humanitarian relief effort in Venezuela has received widespread acclaim from the public for its professionalism and quality of service."
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Operation Amistad- Care brings hope. The Army Field Hospital is serving communities with dedication and compassion."
"Relief in action. Care on the ground. The Army Field Hospital is providing timely medical assistance to communities in Venezuela," MEA stated further.
India has sent a 41-member team from the famed 60 Parachute Field Ambulance to Venezuela, a country half the world away, aboard an Indian Air Force C-17 strategic transport aircraft.This is not the first time India’s armed forces have carried out humanitarian rescue and relief missions beyond the country’s borders. From responding to natural disasters to evacuating civilians from active war zones, the Army, Navy and Air Force have repeatedly stepped in to help citizens of other countries in need. These missions have highlighted India’s ability to respond rapidly during emergencies.
India's Army Field Hospital in Venezuela working under Operation Amistad has garnered major praise, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared a snippet of local media coverage.
Jaishankar shared the coverage by TeleSUR, reporting on the inauguration of an Indian medical field hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, following a devastating double earthquake.
Michell Ramirez, the Reporter, noted the La Rinconada sector, where the field hospital has just been inaugurated by the Indian government; this is within the framework of Operation Friendship India-Venezuela.
Maitrey Kulkarni, Director of Operation Friendship India-Venezuela, told Ramirez, "This is part of Operation Friendship that we have set up to offer our services to the brothers and sisters of Venezuela. This is a field hospital with 41 doctors of various specialties, especially to provide emergency treatments that usually occur in times of these catastrophes."
"This is a team that has extensive experience; they set up this same hospital, this type of hospital with the same commander, by the way, in Sri Lanka about 6 months ago when the island was hit by Cyclone Ditwah. Also previously after the earthquake in Myanmar. In both cases, they treated thousands of people who went to those facilities."
An estimated 60,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in last week's earthquakes, which hit magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively. An estimated 13,000 people have been left homeless, as per Al Jazeera.
In its last official update, Venezuela's government said that at least 2,295 people have been confirmed killed, with 11,000 injured. The death toll was expected to rise, with about 50,000 people reported missing, Al Jazeera reported.
Operation Maitri, Nepal (2015)Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal, India became the first country to send assistance. The Army and Air Force rescued thousands of people, established field hospitals and delivered essential relief supplies. Operation Raahat, Yemen (2015)During the civil war in Yemen, the Indian Navy and Air Force evacuated more than 4,700 Indians and nearly 2,000 foreign nationals from Aden.
