New Delhi: India Friday dispatched two military transport Globemaster aircraft carrying a specialised medical contingent and humanitarian supplies to earthquake-stricken Venezuela.
The operation, dubbed Operation Amistad—the Spanish word for ‘friendship’—includes a 41-member medical team from the Indian Army’s 60 Para Field Hospital, equipped to provide emergency care, trauma treatment and life-saving surgical support to communities devastated by powerful earthquakes.
The contingent departed from Hindon Air Force Station aboard two Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft. Nine of the personnel are medical officers, supported by nurses, paramedics and technical specialists capable of establishing field medical facilities in disaster-hit areas.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the deployment on X, saying the aircraft were carrying “urgent assistance” to support Venezuela’s relief efforts.
“India is committed to support the Government and people of Venezuela in this difficult time,” he wrote.
Operation Amistad underway!
Two @IAF_MCC C17s took-off today for Venezuela with urgent assistance to support their post-earthquake relief efforts.
The assistance contains an Indian Army @adgpi Field Hospital Unit and over 35 tons of relief supplies, medicines and medical… pic.twitter.com/Dcq8P065tp
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 26, 2026
“Compartimos su dolor. Estamos con ustedes,” the Indian Army posted on X, which translates to “We share your pain. We stand with you”.
OPERATION AMISTAD: INDIA DEPLOYS SPECIALISED INDIAN ARMY MEDICAL CONTINGENT TO EARTHQUAKE-HIT VENEZUELA
'Compartimos su dolor. Estamos con ustedes.'
Responding swiftly to the devastating earthquake in northern Venezuela, #India has launched Operation Amistad, deploying a… pic.twitter.com/Yg1m58CCho
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) June 26, 2026
Alongside approximately 35 tonnes of medical stores and humanitarian supplies provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, one of the aircraft is transporting a BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cube, a rapidly deployable modular field hospital developed under India’s Aarogya Maitri humanitarian assistance initiative.
Designed for disaster zones, the indigenous medical system can be assembled within hours into a fully operational field hospital capable of treating up to 200 patients. It includes portable ventilators, diagnostic equipment, operating theatre facilities, intensive care support, oxygen systems and independent power generation, enabling medical teams to function even where local infrastructure has collapsed.
The foreign ministry formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes to Jamaican PM Andrew Holness this May to boost the island’s disaster preparedness and emergency response capabilities. Earlier, consignments of the BHISHM Cube were delivered to Ukraine to support medical infrastructure during the Russia-Ukraine war.
The assistance comes as Venezuela grapples with the aftermath of twin earthquakes that struck the northern part of the nation Wednesday, one of the deadliest natural disasters since 1990. At least 235 people have been reported dead and thousands feared trapped beneath buildings along the country’s Caribbean coast.
A state of emergency has been declared by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, whose government has appealed for international assistance. The US has pledged $150 million in emergency aid.
Humanitarian organisations have warned that the disaster has compounded an already fragile situation. Oxfam estimates that nearly 7.9 million Venezuelans required humanitarian assistance even before the earthquakes, raising concerns that shortage of healthcare, shelter and clean water could deepen in the coming weeks.
India’s relief mission comes against the backdrop of improving diplomatic relations between India and Venezuela.
Earlier this month, Rodríguez visited New Delhi for the first high-level bilateral engagement in five years. While the visit concluded without formal agreements, officials from both countries identified energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, transportation and agriculture as priority sectors for future cooperation. Even before Rodríguez’s visit, India’s imports of Venezuelan oil had risen sharply, making Venezuela India’s third-largest supplier of crude in May.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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