U.S. Military Unloads Chinese Aid Shipment to Earthquake-Stricken Venezuela

U.S. troops moved cargo from an Air China aircraft that arrived at Simón Bolívar Airport on July 6, marking the first Chinese government aid shipment to Venezuela after the June 24 earthquakes. The supplies were taken off the plane and loaded onto trucks by U.S. service members who have been coordinating disaster-relief operations in the country.

"Secretary Rubio promised the Trump administration's response to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela would be big, fast and effective. We continue to deliver on that commitment," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

The United States has delivered more than 1.5 million pounds of assistance since the quakes, including repairing one runway at the airport to enable larger aircraft such as C-17s to land. A senior State Department official noted that the repaired runway allows continued receipt of international relief supplies.

Non-governmental organization Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) reported it has shipped nearly 1 million pounds of aid, including hygiene kits, tents, tarps and generators, and aims to deliver up to 100,000 boxes of supplies each month for the next three to six months.

"We land a private plane. It gets unloaded by U.S. soldiers. It goes in a truck we pay for and to a warehouse that we completely control," GEM President Michael Capponi told the Associated Press.

The U.S. government has pledged more than $386 million in financial assistance to Venezuela through partner groups. China announced a $14.72 million commitment for financial and material aid, with Chinese and Venezuelan officials receiving the shipment of tents and generators at the airport.

The earthquakes have caused at least 4,734 deaths, 16,740 injuries and left nearly 18,000 people homeless, according to Venezuelan government figures cited by Reuters.