In a collective show of regional solidarity, a large humanitarian shipment packed with 88 containers of life-saving emergency supplies has departed from Georgetown, Guyana, bound for earthquake-ravaged Venezuela. The cross-border relief effort, coordinated by Guyana with backing from seven member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), marks one of the largest regional responses to the recent disaster in the South American nation.
The cargo is being carried by the Motti, a vessel chartered through the BK Group of Companies, which set sail from BK Wharf in Kingston, Georgetown on Tuesday. Loaded onto the ship are a diverse array of urgent supplies tailored to post-disaster needs: 300 water tanks, essential pharmaceuticals and medical products, bulk food supplies, cleaning materials, and two heavy-duty earth-moving pieces of equipment donated by regional conglomerate Ansa McAL. The 1,500-tonne capacity vessel is projected to complete the four-day journey to Venezuela, where distribution of the aid will be coordinated through a broader international humanitarian relief framework to ensure supplies reach the most hard-hit communities.
The relief initiative was first launched by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, who called for domestic and regional support in the wake of the disaster. In addition to the seven contributing Caricom nations, the effort drew significant donations from Guyana’s domestic private sector and members of the Venezuelan diaspora community residing in Guyana.
Witnessing the vessel’s departure, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh emphasized that the operation represented far more than a single country’s contribution—it was a demonstration of unified regional care for a neighboring nation. “What we see today is not only the mobilisation made by the government of Guyana but also contributions made by seven member states of Caricom,” Singh told reporters on-site. “On President Ali’s behalf, I want to acknowledge the generosity of all those who supported this initiative. Venezuela is our neighbour, and the Venezuelan people are our neighbours. So, we consider this to be the least that we could do in this moment of tragedy.”
Singh detailed that the cargo includes locally produced Guyanese rice, alongside the heavy equipment and medical supplies that are critical for rescue and recovery operations after a major seismic event.
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar noted that the rapid response was rooted in core humanitarian values and longstanding regional cooperation commitments. “When your neighbour faces a natural catastrophe, it is only the human thing to do to respond,” Indar explained. “President Ali committed that Guyana would help, and Guyana has risen to that challenge. The private sector, the Venezuelan community here, and our Caricom brothers and sisters all came together to fill this massive vessel behind us.” He added that as Venezuela’s closest neighbor, Guyana had a particular responsibility to step up amid the crisis, and the joint effort stands as proof of the region’s commitment to collective support. “The need is great, and we are Venezuela’s closest neighbour. This is a testament to Guyana standing firm as a partner during this crisis,” he said.
Retired Colonel Nazrul Hussain, Director General of Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC), shared that relief items were gathered from all 10 of Guyana’s administrative regions in response to President Ali’s public appeal for assistance. “Over a little more than a week, we were able to amass a considerable amount of relief supplies, amounting to about 88 containers. This became a consolidated Caricom effort with Guyana taking the lead,” Hussain said. The seven contributing Caricom states that joined the effort are Grenada, The Bahamas, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Belize and Jamaica, he confirmed.
Hussain highlighted that the speedy mobilization of the large shipment speaks to the region’s ability to coordinate rapid relief when disaster strikes a neighbor. “It demonstrates how quickly Guyana and our regional partners were able to mobilise and consolidate support for our neighbour in a time of need,” he added.